TV Rants and Raves 10.21.09

Posted by Bryan Kristopowitz on 10.21.2009

We're back, and in this issue we Rant and Rave about the new TV season, with thoughts on "NCIS," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Cougar Town," "The Cleveland Show," "Modern Family," "The Big Bang Theory," "Criminal Minds," "Flash Forward," plus more, including a new Douchebag of the Week, talk of a "Millennium" movie, and more

Hello, everyone, and welcome once again to the TV centric internet column that just wants to know why it's so goddamn hard to find relatively cheap but still good quality black cargo pants for men (it's practically impossible. When the hell did "olive green" become the color for cargo pants?) TV Rants and Raves. I'm Bryan Kristopowitz.

I want to start off this issue with a big hooha thanks to the immortal Ben Piper for filling in last issue and doing a damn fine job. I pretty much agree with him on both "Bones" and "Fringe" and hope to agree with him on "Community" (I still haven't seen it). Again, thanks, Ben, you're a real pal.

So where have I been? I'll just say this. I've been dealing with a terrible family related issue the past month. It didn't end well, but at least the suffering and the pain is over. That's what's most important. And hopefully, that'll be the last of it for a while.

Now, the new TV season is in full swing, with both new shows and returning shows dotting each network's nightly line up, and I've decided to devote pretty much all of this issue's main section to discussing some of those new and returning shows. I'll start with the new shows and then finish with some returning shows. Now, I'm not discussing every new and returning show, I'm just discussing a few. Shows that I've missed (and some of them are major shows) I'll likely get into at a later date.

So, without any further hooha, the main part of the column.

TV Rants and Raves



- "NCIS: Los Angeles": I went into this "NCIS" spin off unsure of what to expect. I wasn't exactly enthralled with the back door pilot that aired on "NCIS" last season, and most of that, well, trepidation was caused by the presence of LL Cool J. I wasn't too impressed with Chris O'Donnell, either, mostly because he's not what you'd call a typical action star and has never lasted all that long on a TV show, but he was an actual actor and figured he'd grow into the part. Now, with the show actually on, I've been pleasantly surprised by how entertaining the show is.



Yes, this show is all about entertainment and nothing else. O'Donnell is fabulous as the lead character G, and LL Cool J hasn't been too annoying (although the guy really needs a charisma transplant because, as an actor, he still stinks). Linda Hunt, as the Special Operations Undercover whatever the hell it's called NCIS unit's accountant, is easily the show's break out star. She's perfect. The rest of the cast is pretty decent, but none of them stand out yet as much as O'Donnell, LL, and Hunt. Hopefully, for the show's sake, they all sort themselves out and start to contribute to the show in a major way. Although I wouldn't be surprised if the show eventually gets rid of the majority of the team and turns the show into a straight buddy cop show (like a modern "Starsky and Hutch").

Now, the one aspect of the show I'm not happy about at all is the presence of Rocky Carroll's Director Vance character. Why does he need to be on both the main show and the spin off? How long is that going to last before someone says the show needs its own Director?



Overall, I like this show. I like how it doesn't try to reinvent the TV show wheel and is interested in being entertainment. It's not ground breaking, it's just fun. And what the heck is wrong with that?





- "The Cleveland Show": This "Family Guy" spin off is going to need time to find its voice because it's obvious that it hasn't done that yet. It's to be expected, though, since it usually takes a full season before a show figures out what it needs to do to "work." The show has been pretty decent so far.

The whole idea of giving the Cleveland character its own show was a little shaky, at least I thought so when I first heard about it. Why wouldn't Fox push to have a Quagmire show, since a show featuring that character no doubt would have been one of the raunchiest shows in the history of television (and as we all know, raunch means ratings. Ha)? Seth MacFarlane's instincts were right, though, and Cleveland Brown has worked out tremendously. The supporting characters are pretty funny (I love the bear character), but, again, it's obvious that the show is working off of the "Family Guy" template and the show still needs to find its voice (the scenes with Cleveland in the bar don't work as well as they probably should).



Now, the one thing I hope we get an explanation of is the whole Cleveland, Jr. as a fat kid thing. When did that happen? When did Junior lose all of his ADD spunk and turn into a dumbass slow fatso? I bet Peter Griffin, when he shows up as a guest star (you just know that's going to happen at some point will bring it up. And it'll be, no doubt, hilarious.

Am I the only digging the show's theme song? I don't know the lyrics yet, but the music part of it is great, and that last line "This is the Cleveland Show!" (it's the only line I know) is damn catchy. I had that one little snippet in my head for like three days.





- "Cougar Town": You know, what exactly is the point of this show supposed to be? Courtney Cox's character is a single mother in her 40's, she thinks she's fat (the opening scene of the first episode made it clear that she thinks she's fat, despite the fact that she isn't), and she's in serious need of male companionship. I think I understand that aspect of the show. So what's the deal with the "looking for a younger man" thing? Is that what the show is really about, or is that just the first thing Cox's character is expected to do until she gets involved with her 40 year old male neighbor, the one with all of the younger women? Because you know that's eventually going to happen.

And can someone please explain this part of the show to me: it's obvious that, in this world, younger men are out on the prowl looking for hot, older women. But, it seems like these hot, older women all think, on some level, that they're fat and unattractive. So what exactly is the draw for these younger men if these women are fat and unattractive?

This show needs work. Lots and lots of work. It needs to slow itself down a bit, it needs to have Cox narrate the story, and it needs a little more "plot of the week" because right now the show is just flailing around.

I will say that it's good to see Christa Miller in a sitcom again (wasn't she on "Scrubs"? I know she was on Drew Carrey), and it's always a blast to see Ian Gomez in anything (the guy is a freaking hoot). I hope we get to see more of them and their family life, as it's actually interesting. I love how Miller's character completely rules Gomez's character's life. And this is for you Drew Carrey fans out there, who would have ever thought that Kate would end up with Larry Almada, the guy that took steroids to "make the steak look bigger" (it's a testicle joke)? I know I didn't.





- "Modern Family": I'm somewhat shocked at how good this show is, because I thought the previews for the show were terrible (that "cream puff" joke really got old fast) and I wasn't exactly enthused by having yet another single camera sitcom. Why can't we have a better balance between single camera comedies and ones with a laugh track and a studio audience? But then I went ahead and watched "Modern Family" and laughed my ass off.



The cast is fabulous (finally, Ed O'Neill has a character as potentially interesting as Al Bundy to play again) and there's a nice mix of characters among the three groups. The gay couple is hilarious. I do have an issue with the show, though. Why are the characters talking to the camera? Is this yet another "documentary" being filmed somewhere? Hasn't that device played itself out yet? Why not just have the show's characters play themselves, without talking to the camera? That's getting pretty dang old, too.

I haven't seen the episode with Shelly Long as Ed O'Neill's ex-wife, but I've heard good things about it. And it sounds like Benjamin Bratt may show up at some point as the father of O'Neill's stepson, so that should be interesting (has Bratt ever been on a sitcom before?). This is easily ABC's best new show.



- "The Forgotten": And then there's "The Forgotten," Christian Slater's latest attempt at becoming a TV star. The show is a whole bunch better than Slater's show, "My Own Worst Enemy," but "The Forgotten" suffers from some of the same crapola that doomed his previous show. The show's biggest problem is that it's way too complicated for its own good. Is it really necessary to have Slater's character team up with, what, three other people (maybe it's four, I can't remember) to look for murderers? Why can't it just be a show about Slater's character, as a kind of private eye, interacting with the "real" police, or as some kind of unofficial "case fixer," a guy that operates outside of the usual police channels to get the job done, etc? Slater is a good enough actor to carry a show all on his own and I have no doubt that, if given the chance, he and he alone could make the show a real hit, something people would tune into every week. But, as it is now, he's just one part of a team. That really doesn't suit him.

And what the hell is the deal with the murdered person providing the show's initial voice over? Is that really necessary? Of course it isn't. It's a pointless gimmick that isn't going to work in the long run (or the short run for that matter. It's a stupid device). Cop shows don't need gimmicks. Cop shows need interesting characters and good stories, but mostly interesting characters. If a cop show can get that, it's going to be a hit. Why is this so hard to understand?



- "Flash Forward" : The pilot episode for this was fabulous. Well paced, mysterious, brimming with interesting characters and a hot plot. But then things got weird in the second episode, and I'm contemplating whether or not I should continue with this show. The third episode is sitting on my DVR, just waiting to be watched. Should I?

It seems to me that this whole "people getting a glimpse of their futures" idea would have been better in a six-eight hour miniseries as opposed to something that has to develop over several months in 22-24 episodes. I mean, what does the future hold for this show once the secret of the worldwide blackout is revealed, presumably at the end of the last episode of the first season? And am I going to care about the show by then?



- "Criminal Minds" : I don't think I've ever been more disappointed by a season premiere episode before in my life. Instead of focusing on the immediate aftermath of Hotchner's confrontation with the masked serial killer with the big guns played by C. Thomas Howell, the episode is about some other bunch of crapola and the aftermath of Hotchner's confrontation is some kind of hazy dream thing. What the fuck ever.

This episode has basically soured me on continuing watching this show. I mean, I know I'm going to eventually. All of the new episodes are on the DVR, just like that episode of "Flash Forward," just waiting to be watched, and I'll eventually get to them. But what the hell happened here? Why did the season premiere wimp out?

Well, maybe I missed something, or misunderstood the point of the episode, but Howell's masked killer character is still out there roaming the country, isn't he? If he is, I sure do hope there's a satisfactory conclusion to his "arc" at some point this season. Maybe the show should bring back Mandy Patinkin for a guest spot to help Hotchner get the bastard. That'd be pretty cool.

See, they never should have killed off that serial killer character that Keith Carradine played, the one that jumped in the front of the train. He should have been saved, he should be in some mental institution somewhere (you know, rip off Hannibal Lector), and he should be plotting his escape. That would have been awesome, and then the show would have a seriously nasty reoccurring bad guy to contend with.

Maybe that kind of thing will happen in the coming "Criminal Minds" spin-off. Maybe.



- "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit": Oh my God, what the hell is going on with this show? Why is there all of this hooey involving Stabler? I mean, that episode where Stabler spent a weekend in solitary confinement was just ridiculous pandering to the Emmy voting committee. In fact, pretty much every episode this season has been some kind of "Emmy episode" for Chris Meloni. I'm going to assume that Benson's Emmy episodes will start up very soon. I'll bet those will be just as great (me rolling my eyes as I type it).



Christine Lahti's run as the new ADA was pretty cool, though. It was great how she didn't take any shit from anyone, especially Benson and Stabler. It's too bad that her character had to leave the show. That's what the show needs more of, really, people taking on Benson and Stabler and making them look like fools and assholes. But then they're really popular so that'll never happen.

Now, it was in either TV Guide or Entertainment Weekly, but a whole bunch of stuff is supposed to happen this season to the other characters on the show. Munch is supposed to get a focus, Ice-T's character is supposed to have something cool happen to him, and even the medical examiner is supposed to have something interesting happen to her. How much do you want to bet that, in the course of those stories and episodes, Benson and Stabler are still going to be the focus. Remember that episode where Jerry Lewis guest starred as Munch's whacked out uncle? Why the hell was that episode more about Stabler and that blonde woman (I don't remember her name. She subbed for Mariska Hargitay while she was pregnant) than Munch dealing with his mentally impaired uncle?

I have a feeling it's going to be a long season of "SVU."



- "NCIS": "NCIS," now in its seventh season, is the number one show on television. How did that happen? Well, people tune in every week. It doesn't get much more complicated than that. For whatever reason, people (all kinds of people) want to watch this show. Is it the characters? Probably, but, again, who knows?

The season seven premiere was one of the best episodes of the show so far, featuring an actual resolution to the events that transpired in the season six finale. Did I think that DiNozzo and McGee would actually go over to East Africa to rescue Ziva? No, not really. I figured, if anyone was going to save Ziva it would be Gibbs and Gibbs only. He's a man of swift, brutal, and quiet action. That's what he does best. But then he had DiNozzo and McGee tag along, get captured, etc. It was shocking and enthralling all at the same time.



The subsequent episodes have been great, too. It'll be great to have Ziva back in full on action mode, and I'm really digging the whole "Ziva is now a probie" thing. I do have a few questions about it, though (it's actually more like one question). She's not an American citizen, right? She's still technically an Israeli. So how could she become an NCIS (U.S. government) agent? Does it have something to do with Rocky Carroll's Director Vance character and the "pull" he's got when it comes to moving things through the government bureaucracy and whatnot? I hope someone explains this on the show. I know I'm not the only one wondering about it.

Now, with the show's ascension to the top of the TV ratings chart, how long do you think it will take for the network to want to have "bigger" guest stars? I'm not talking Matt Damon big, but more like James Woods or Jason Statham or something like that? I can see it happening if the show stays at the top. Will it work, though? Will the show's audience buy it?

We'll see.



- "The Big Bang Theory" : Wow, this show came back with quite the bang, didn't it? Leonard and Penny are now a real, honest to God sex having couple, and it's clearly annoying the hell out of Sheldon. It's also annoying the hell out of Howard Wolowitz because he wanted to be the first one to bang Penny. This momentous occasion should offer up some great stories this season.



It should. There's always a chance that Leonard's and Penny's coupling could blow up in the show's face. And then what? Will the show have to bring back Will Wheaton (and how did Will Wheaton do on the show in his guest spot? I haven't seen Monday night's episode yet, but I've heard it's hilarious) and Lewis Black to spice things up again?

I am disappointed in one thing, though. Wolowitz shaved his mustache. I kind of figured that he would eventually shave that ridiculous upper lip hair off, but I also figured that we'd have at least four or five episodes of the gang making fun of that mustache. I really wanted to see that.

Anyone else want to start up an online petition to force the show to bring back Howard's mustache?



"I need a stache!"

And I just want to say, for the record, that Jim Parsons got screwed out of a Best Actor in a Comedy Emmy. Did Alec Baldwin really do a better job than Parsons last season? Really? Horseshit.





- "The Mentalist": Just like "Criminal Minds," the new season of "The Mentalist" started off in rather mediocre fashion. In fact, I can't even remember what the hell happened in the season premiere. And because of that season opening mediocrity I'm not so sure that the show is must see viewing anymore. Is it worth watching closely anymore? Has the show already become "CSI," its lead in, in that show is mostly good for having on in the background to watch casually instead of closely? Sure seems like it.

How long do you think it will take for Simon Baker to get bored with the show? I really want this show to succeed. I really want Baker's Patrick Jane to find the nefarious serial killer Red John. I want to see him do that. But the show is really going to have to pick up the pace. I do like the new character on the show, though, that bald guy (Sam Bosco, as played by Terry Kinney) that's giving both Jane and the CBI a hard time. The show needs more of him and less of that "I have deep, dark issues" crapola from CBI lead agent Lisbon. Is anyone really interested in that stuff?

And now the shows I'm probably never going to talk about again, unless they get cancelled soon, which they probably will.

"Trauma" and "Mercy," both new shows on NBC, and "Eastwick" and "Hank," both new shows on ABC. My Drake, what the hell were they thinking when they came up with these shows?



Both "Trauma" and "Mercy," at least on the outside, look like exciting, interesting shows. Yes, shows about EMT's and nurses have been done to death (well, shows about the medical profession in general have been done to death), but both "Trauma" and "Mercy" have that slick, glossy look that just screams "classy." But, when you actually watch each show, you realize that there's nothing else going on there. Each show is both shallow and way too self important to be watchable beyond one episode. And that's all I've watched so far. Well, that's a small lie in that I've tried to watch two other episodes of "Mercy" and got through about the first ten minutes before I just zoned out. I don't know how you fix these shows. I've actually thought about it and I really have no idea.

Over on ABC, Kelsey Grammer's new sitcom "Hank" pretty much blew the second it started. It's not a bad idea for a sitcom (rich guy loses everything, has to move to a small town and try to start his life over again), and Grammer and co-star David "Champ Kind" Koechner work well together and have a fun chemistry, it's just the rest of the cast that stinks. Grammer's wife is annoying and his two kids are depressingly lame. This show should be retooled and make it about Grammer's weird beard friendship with Koechner. That show would definitely work wonders.



As for "Eastwick," my God this show is lame. I don't think I've ever been more bored by an uber hot all female cast than with this show. I'll just say this about the show: I feel very, very bad for Lindsay Price. She should sue NBC for cancelling "Lipstick Jungle" and forcing her to join up with this show. NBC, with the help of the fine folks at ABC, have just about destroyed her career. That's a pity, because she's quite good in general.

Well, that's it for the moment in terms of the new TV season. There are a bunch of shows I missed here ("Grey's Anatomy," "Lie to Me," "Ugly Betty," among others) and, hopefully, I'll get to talk about them in future issues. I think I'm really going to rip "Accidentally on Purpose," and subsequently CBS, a new one, but that'll have to wait.

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The TV Rants and Raves Theme Song of the Week

Enjoy.



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And now, Dr. Phil.



"You know what my baking specialty is? Glazed donuts. Yeah, glazed donuts. I need a Penthouse to help me make the glaze, but then that's the best part of the process really. The glaze is pretty damn tasty. Gigantic Asses helps, too."

My God, Phil, you are such an asshole.

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And now, the weekly Fearnet update

What's on Fearnet this week? Why don't you go here to find out?

Yes, that's the Fearnet website, where you can check out free movies (the site gets new ones every Wednesday), horror news, and more. And since Halloween is right around the corner, I'm sure they've upped the ante when it comes to general horror awesomeness. Plus, you can get information on how to contact Time Warner Cable as they still haven't reinstated the free, 24/7 on demand horror channel. What the hell are they waiting for?

The rat bastards. This is ridiculous.

We must keep the pressure on, though. That's all we can really do.

If you haven't done so already, please check out the Fearnet fans Facebook page, which can be seen here.

Come on Time Warner! We want our Fearnet!

(As always, thanks to both Mark Lindsey and Mathew Hirsch for info regarding the Fearnet fan movement).

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Special Comment

The following thing appeared in my other column here at 411 mania, The Gratuitous B-Movie Column, but I've decided to include it here in TV Rants and Raves because it's just so dang cool.



- Is there a"Millennium"movie in the works?. According to multiple sources, yes, there is.

You all remember "Millennium," don't you? It was that Fox show that aired in the late 1990's that starred the great Lance Henriksen as a former FBI analyst/profiler named Frank Black who is recruited into something called "The Millennium Group," a group of retired law enforcement officials investigating/watching a weird ass crime wave that had something to do with the approaching Millennium. Or something like that.



The show was created by Chris Carter, creator of "The X-Files," and lasted for about three years (1996-1999). I watched most of the first season, but then I kind of lost track of the show when I went to college. It's currently on "Chiller," where it airs weekdays (I think it airs at like 5 or 6pm).

Well, this proposed movie, according to Screen Rant and Cinema Blend, will happen via an independent production company and not involve Chris Carter. Lance Henriksen will be involved, though, returning as Frank Black. And who has been named as a possible director? None other than Brett A. Hart, the man behind the truly awesome "Bone Dry" (read my review of that flick here).

Hart had this to say to The Gratuitous B-Movie Column about his potential participation in a "Millennium" movie:

"As a tremendous fan of the Millennium series and having worked with Lance Henrikson on "Bone Dry", it is an honour to even be considered as a possible director for a "Millennium" feature.
If it does come to fruition and given an opportunity, my passion and support for the cause would reflect on the screen. The series continuously had some of the finest performances, storylines, cinematography, and music to grace television. A full length feature would allow fans to finally get closure to a series that was unceremoniously cut short. It would allow an opportunity to truly explore Frank Black further than a series time frame allowed and to closer examine a man struggling with his own demons within the shadows of an aberrant world. Finally it would allow highlighted storylines from the three seasons to potentially be woven together within a cathartic revelation.

As for doing the picture for free, entertainment is a balance between art and commerce. If I was officially asked to direct the "Millennium" feature in order to bring Frank back to life… everything is up for discussion and I am willing to do my part to do just that... for "This Is Who We Are".

If this movie does happen, Hart is a perfect choice as director, at least in my opinion. "Bone Dry" is such a strong movie that it's obvious Hart can handle pretty much anything thrown his way, including three years worth of show mythology and a dedicated and demanding fan base that will no doubt go over the movie with a fine tooth, which is exactly what he'll have to deal with with a "Millennium" movie. Plus, he's already worked with Henriksen once and made him look great, so there should be no problems on that front.

And, hey, he's said that he'll direct the movie for free. That's confidence for sure.



We'll see where it goes. Hopefully, for Hart's sake and, really, for all of our sakes, that this movie happens with Hart at the helm.



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Don't forget, "Live Evil" (which I reviewed here appears on Video On Demand on Election day, November 3rd. Be sure to check it out then. It's quite the B-movie.



Save the date! "Live Evil" on November 3rd! Yeah!"

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The TV Rants and Raves Douchebag of the Week





This week, the TV Rants and Raves Douchebag of the Week goes to right wing drug addict Rush Limbaugh, for whining about being thrown out of an investment group potentially bidding on buying the St. Louis Rams NFL team. Rush has actually blamed President Obama for this, along with the "liberal" media and "race hustlers" like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Yeah, Rush, they made you a scumbag racist prick. The only one responsible for your ouster from the investment group is you. Remember your old saying "Words mean things"? Think about it, Rush. Think about it.



And then there's NBC, for cancelling the great cop show "Southland" before it even aired one freaking episode of its second season. I was really looking forward to this show's return. I wanted to find out what the heck happened to that guy that got shot in the chest. Did he die? Did he survive somehow? Way to go, NBC.



There's talk that cable channel TNT may air the show's second season (zap2it claims there's a second possible network interested in the show but the site didn't say who that was), but that's not much of a guarantee, is it? Fucks. The only bright spot in this is that NBC will air "Dateline" in its place. They have good stories on there from time to time.





And finally, there's World Wrestling Entertainment, for apparently asking former funny comedian Dennis Miller to guest host an upcoming episode of "Raw." Good God why? Why the hell would you have one of the least funny comedians in the world guest host your fucking show? If McMahon and company decide to actually have Miller host a three hour edition, I may do something I thought I'd never do again: actively watch TNA. I don't want that to happen. Please, McMahon, change the plan. Have Ric Flair do it. It's not like he's doing anything constructive at the moment.



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And now, your weekly "Jericho" update

Well, the "Jericho" comic book is still the big deal in "Jericho" world, but apparently Devils Due hasn't actually published the first issue yet. Yet. The six issue series is still set to be released, just at a later date (I read that October 28th may be the day that the world sees the first issue). Be sure to check out http://www.savingjericho.com for further updates and late breaking "Jericho" news.

And don't forget that you can still purchase the entire "Jericho" run on DVD. Go here to buy the entire series. If you're not into the whole "buying the entire series in one package" thing, you can get each season individually. Buy season 1 here, and season two here.

You can also preorder the "Jericho" comic book as a trade paperback here. It's not coming out until January 2010 but there's nothing like planning ahead if you can. And make sure you're bugging your local comic book store people about the comic book. Don't get left out when it does come out. And, from what I've seen, regardless of the delays, "Jericho" will appear in comic book form soon. Very, very soon.

Let's keep the "Jericho" name out there! It's up to us!

Long live "Jericho"!




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NASCAR and IRL thoughts



I'm mostly going to talk about the IRL this issue, because the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship has become dull. Jimmie Johnson, who has won the past three consecutive championships, is well on his way to a fourth straight championship.

That sucks. That really, really sucks.

Montoya's done. Jeff Gordon will probably wimp out. Mark Martin already has. Tony Stewart might make it interesting, but Johnson is going to have to have major issues at Martinsville for Stewart to have a chance. That probably won't happen. So, it was fun while it lasted, but it looks like it's pretty much over.

Again, that sucks. That really, really sucks.



The IRL season is over, with Dario Franchitti winning the last race of the season at Homestead and subsequently the championship. He beat his Target teammate Scott Dixon and Penske driver Ryan Briscoe with fuel mileage, which has apparently pissed a whole bunch of people off (people don't like fuel mileage races, unless, of course, it's on a road course. Then it's okay. And a fuel mileage race on a street course is just the shit).



Penske will apparently run three cars next season, with Will Power in the third car. I don't know what the sponsor for that car will be, but Penske has said there will be three Team Penske cars on the track in 2010. I think it would be pretty dang cool if Penske had Marlboro sponsor all three cars, just like he did back in CART when he had Paul Tracy driving for him, but, hey, another car in the pit area and on the grid is always a good thing.



Danica Patrick's NASCAR future is still a big topic of discussion, despite the fact that very little is known about that future beyond Danica's agent meeting with Dale Earnhardt Jr's Nationwide team
(which is a Hendrick satellite team) about some possible races next year in both the Nationwide series and in ARCA. We'll see what happens with all of that. She'll still be driving an Indycar next year.

Still no concrete word on where exactly the IRL will open its 2010 season in Brazil. Whatever happened to that pseudo oval owned by Emerson Fittipaldi?



Some good news to report for Sarah Fisher racing. She will be fielding two cars next season, one for herself and one for Jay Howard, who I believe drove for Marty Roth at one point (Howard is also a former Indy Pro champion). It's not a full season thing. It's just four races, but it's better than nothing and he's got solid sponsorship from Tire Kingdom. Hopefully, it all works out and Howard and Fisher race even more in 2011.



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That'll be about it

Well, I think that'll be about it for this issue. I hope you enjoyed this issue as much as I did putting it together.

Don't forget to check out the 411 mania movies zone podcast, which can be heard here. It's always a good listen.

And please check out my other column here at the 411 mania movies zone, The Gratuitous B-Movie Column. It's about B-movies.

And don't forget to bookmark 411 via the little line below. You'll be glad you did.

It's good to be back.

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"(Lois walks in on Stewie torturing a bully)

Stewie: We're playing house...

Lois: But that kid is all tied up!

Stewie: Roman Polanski's house."

That's from "Family Guy," but I'm pretty sure you already knew that. And pretty freaking topical, too.

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Alzheimers sucks.

Cancer really fucking sucks.

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