The VICIOUS TV News Wrap 05.09.06
Posted by Steve Vicious on 05.09.2006
"Family Guy" & "The Sopranos" coming to a video game console near you? Anna Nicole Smith wins one for gold diggers; E3 2006 coverage on G4; Pamela Anderson still "Stacked"; Stan Lee's reality TV show; The end is near for Justice League Unlimited; Mr. T returns to TV; Star Jones' exit; too many damn reality shows; VH1 taps a SuperGroup for a reality show; The truth about reality TV; A NUDE WONDER WOMAN and much more!!!
- Written in front of a not-so-live studio audience in Vicious HQ in CA
Opening Segment: Introduction
Welcome to the 33rd edition of 411mania.com's Vicious TV News Wrap. As always, I am your host Steve Vicious. Thank you for joining me on this lovely day, and I'd like to welcome my new readers from News Askew. I hope you enjoy the TV News Wrap and become loyal readers for life of all that 411mania has to offer. Anyway, I am currently brainstorming ideas for my upcoming season finale (May 30th, 2006), but I have found it increasingly difficult to try and come up with a way to end things with a bang. Next week, the networks will announce their line-ups for the fall 2006-2007 season. The Vicious TV News Wrap will be all over that in two weeks, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, let's get to the Top TV News Story of the Week...
The Top TV Story of the Week: - ABC pulls 'Commander in Chief'
It has been rumored for a few months, but it seems that ABC has finally pulled the plug on their once newly minted hit drama Commander in Chief. The show's ratings started off very strong in the fall, but production problems and a move to the very competitive Thursday night 10PM led to viewers tuning out. Not only was the show's ratings very good in the fall, but the show was heavily praised by the critics as being an excellent show to watch. I actually expected ABC to keep the show and moved it to Sunday nights since NBC's The West Wing bows out at the end of this season. ABC and the show could have capitalized on that alone, but we live in an era where the networks are impatient when it comes to letting a show find its audience. While I have never seen an episode of the show, I assume it was good if Geena Davis was being praised for her role as the first female president ever. In the end, what could you expect from a still new show competing against ER or Without a Trace?
Random TV News/Thoughts/Gossip/etc. - E3 2006 coverage on G4 this week!!!
G4 will be covering E3 2006 this year, starting May 9th. For those of you who do not know what E3 is, it's basically a trade show where all of the video game companies show off their newest titles in development, along with new consoles being showcased for the first time ever! There's a rumor running around that Nintendo will finally show the Wii's (previously known as "Revolution") controller! Of course, the Playstation 3 will probably steal the show, although Xbox 360 will be airing footage of Halo 3 at the show. The last time I was excited about E3 was back in 2001, when I woke up at 6AM to see Nintendo's press conference for the GameCube. Yes, I love my Nintendo. Anyway, definitely check out G4's coverage of E3 on May 9th.
- So long, 7th Heaven
Last night, the WB's longest running show 7th Heaven finally ended. The show was rumored to be considered for another season (what would have made it the show's 10th season) for the CW network, but in the end, the show was too pricey to produce. The show's exit gives Everwood a much stronger chance of taking over for 7th Heaven. Let's hope so.
- "Who wants to be a Super Hero?"
Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee is looking for a new super hero via reality television. Premiering on July 26th on the Sci-Fi Channel, Lee's show will be called "Who wants to be a Super Hero?" and will see the winner of the show be the star of a new comic by Stan Lee. I don't know about you, but this idea sounds like GOLD to me.
- Pamela Anderson is still "Stacked"
I was recently informed that FOX's Stacked, which stars Pamela Anderson, has NOT been canceled. In fact, the show is scheduled to return on June 1st, 2006, after a very long hiatus from the network. I cannot believe that people have the nerve to compare this show to Cheers. That is an insult to a classic show such as Cheers.
- Family Guy coming to a console system near you
2K Games has developed a video game based on FOX's popular Family Guy, which will be released later in the fall on the Xbox and Playstation 2. I have uploaded some images below of what the game looks like. Expect to play it at E3.
- Matthew Perry returns to NBC Friends alum Matthew Perry will be back on NBC this fall with a drama from The West Wing producers, Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme, in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The show is said to be very much like the legendary The Larry Sanders Show, so I'm actually looking forward to this one.
- The Housewives reunite
For those of you who cannot get enough of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County can jump for joy right now because the network announced last week that they were airing a "reunion" special Tuesday night (5-9-2006) at 10PM. I hate to admit it, but I love the show and last week's season (series?) finale was shocking. Jo's fiancé broke up with her to go out with Lauri, although I can't blame him since Lauri is f**king hot! Jo is okay, but I'll take a blonde over a raven-haired beauty any day of the week.
- So Long, Justice League Unlimited
Yes, what has been long speculated by just about everyone has finally come true, as Cartoon Network will air the FINAL episode of Justice League Unlimited this coming Saturday night. The overall series lasted for over 90 episodes. Is this the last of the DC Comics universe to make it to the animation screen? One weird thing I noticed was that Cartoon Network aired a Marvel Animation film (Ultimate Avengers) a few weeks ago, so maybe they might strike a deal with them, although it doesn't make much sense to me since the ties that the WB and DC has with each other is way too strong. Just in case you're lonely for more JL, the show currently airs on Toon's offspring network Boomerang.
- I Pity the fool who does not watch this show
TV Land will premiere a "reality" show starring Mr. T in October. The series will run for six episodes and will see Mr. T traveling the country to help people, like he did in A-Team. Move over Dr. Phil and Oprah, Mr. T is coming for you.
- Pre-Teen girls rejoice
E! has announced plans to air a reality show that will follow Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter and his little brother, pop star Aaron Carter, plus their other siblings as they live under one roof. Only eight episodes have been ordered by the network and no exact premiere date has been carved in stone.
- Randy Jackson staying with AI American Idol judge Randy Jackson (yeah, DAWG) has signed a 3-year contract extension to stick with the show. Everyone else has also signed on to stick around for that amount of time, too.
- Anderson Cooper heading to 60 Minutes?
There's a rumor running around that CNN's Anderson Cooper (from Anderson Cooper 360) will be coming to CBS' 60 Minutes. Cooper is likely to continue his role on his CNN show.
- Create Your Dream Car on TV
Just in case you cannot get enough of the reality television, Ford Motors has announced plans to develop a reality television show which will see contestants trying to design a "dream car." Actually, this is not the first time an average Joe has been allowed to develop their "dream car," take a look below at the previous winner's design. The horror.
- Boston Legal staying put
ABC announced last week that they plan on renewing Boston Legal for a third season for the fall 2006-2007 season. The show has been doing very good in the ratings, which comes as a shock to me. Denny Crane?
- A Star Burns Out
Star Jones has reportedly expressed interest in not renewing her contract for The View when it expires in August 2006. Damn, I was really looking forward to her battle for attention against Rosie "Bush is a War Criminal" O'Donnell.
- Speaking of Rosie...
She is rumored to have signed a $2 million dollar per year deal to join The View. Meredith Vieira was being paid $7 million for her work on the syndicated version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The View. ODonnell will definitely bring in the key demographic that the show has been lacking: bull dykes. Somebody had to say it.
- Charlie Sheen is being sued (again???)
Yes, more personal problems have popped up for the Two and a Half Men star as his former girlfriend has filed a lawsuit against Sheen for allegedly using her as an inspiration for a crazy neighbor character on his show. The character in question is a girl named Rose who is a "crazy female with no life except for stalking (Sheen's character) every day of her life." Ah.
- A Win for Gold Diggers Everywhere
Last week, The United States Supreme Court revived former E! "reality" star Anna Nicole Smith's lawsuit against her stepson for her late-husband's billions. Actually, she is looking to land $500 million dollars from the lawsuit. As I mentioned above, this is a win for gold diggers everywhere who are looking to marry a rich, old guy. Yeah, it was for LOVE, Anna.
- The Sopranos coming to a console near you
It took a VERY long time to finally happen, but THQ has announced The Sopranos video game to be released in October 2006 for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 2. The game is expected to be at E3 this week.
- Those Wacky Sopranos
Speaking of The Sopranos, last week saw the arrest of both John Ventimiglia ("Artie Bucco") and Louis Gross (he has a minor role as Tony's driver) were arrested. Ventimiglia was arrested on DUI charges, plus some minor offense involving drugs. Gross was charged with allegedly breaking into a friend's house to retrieve his stuff. I imagine that this is a woman's fault.
- SuperGroup VH1 May 21st
Has anyone else seen the commercial for VH1's newest "reality" show which sees former rock stars living together as members of a new band aimed at bringing metal back to the forefront of the music scene? Skid Row's Sebastian Bach, Ted Nugent, Scott Ian, Sebastian Bach, Evan Seinfeld and Jason Bonham are all going to take part in the series. The show will premiere May 18th at 10PM (EST).
The Vicious Truth Special Feature:
- The Truth About Reality TV
Am I the only one who has noticed the ongoing trend in network and cable channels producing more "reality" (and I use that term VERY loosely) television than scripted shows? I recently watched a special on VH1 that revealed the truth about "reality" (and I use that term VERY loosely) television and how it has become scripted. In fact, reality shows are so scripted that they might as well do away with the word "reality" in the first place. VH1 cited several examples, such as American Idol, The Apprentice, and The Restaurant. The producers of each reality show seem hell-bent on making interesting television at any cost. They turn cast members against each other, or they edit the footage they have to make people look a certain way. American Idol seems to have an egomaniac running around backstage, and no, it's not Simon Cowell. It's Ryan Seacrest, according to the VH1 special. While I find it hilarious that Seacrest is considered an egomaniac, it doesn't surprise me one bit. The Apprentice is shot on a f**king stage! Everything seems to be scripted on the show, but people still watch it. Unfortunately, I'm no better than anyone else who loves the shows mentioned above, but I think we should be grateful for receiving entertaining television. However, does it come at too high of a price of losing such shows as Arrested Development or Commander in Chief? And has it forced shows such as Arrested Development to be unable to gain a larger audience in the summer due to reality television being all over the place, which has led many networks to never air reruns anymore? Remember, Seinfeld and Cheers needed a few seasons before they reached their iconic status. In this world we live in now those shows would have probably lasted ONE SEASON before being axed due to low ratings and receiving little to no chance of finding its audience. And that's the truth.
The Vicious TV Mini-Wrap:
- Gilmore Girls: "Driving Miss Gilmore"
Emily asks Lorelai to be her driver and companion following eye surgery. Emily drives Lorelai crazy, as expected, but she also tries to push the Chris button again. Emily mentions that she & Rory think that Chris might be feeling lonely. Also, Lorelai does her best to avoid Luke, which continues to be the most annoying storyline in the history of the show. Yes, it even tops the Jess/Rory/Dean love triangle which we all knew how it would end. Meanwhile, Luke deals with his sister Liz's announcement that she is pregnant. Liz also reveals that T.J. has left her, but Luke later manages to drag the poor guy back to his sister. And Rory deals with having Logan back from the hospital. This was a much better episode, mainly thanks to the effort put by Emily & Lorelai. However, I still feel that the whole avoid Luke at all cost and give him the cold shoulder for Lorelai is tedious. I have hated it since April showed up, and I will probably hate it after we all discover that Kirk is her real father. Kirk is all over the place, you know. ****
- Scrubs: "My Fallen Idol"
Dr. Cox hits the bottle after on of his decisions does not work out well. Everyone at the hospital tries to help Cox out, although J.D. ends up no-showing. It turns out that he was afraid because he didn't want to see his idol in the drunken shape he is in. In the end, Cox snaps out of his slump and all is seemingly normal again. Meanwhile, Turk deals with a cuddly, sensitive surgeon as his new boss. Don't smother your kids. This was too depressing for my taste, but they ended it off with something good (Cox thanking J.D.). ***1/2
- Law & Order: SVU- "Fat"
We start off with Elliot in a confession booth, talking about losing people in his life, such as his family and friends. Anthony Anderson is Stabler's new partner. Anderson's character is freaking' intense. He was all up in the face of some homeless woman for stealing the victim's purse, which contained the victim's finger. After a little confrontation, Stabler complains to Kragen as to why he would team him up with this nut-job. Kragen tells him that he moved Olivia to the computer unit because they needed a break from one another. The Chris Keller smirk makes its return and it's great to see. The SVU unit traces the beating of the victim to a fat kid and his sister. After Elliot and Blaine have another confrontation, Elliot punches him right in the face after he says: "no wonder your partner dumped you." Olivia pays a visit and tells Elliot that she needed a change. The sexual tension is KILLING ME. Elliot gives her the cold shoulder before walking away. Kragen has another chat with Elliot and tells him that he put him together with Blaine because he wanted Elliot to know what it feels like to work with someone like himself. Someone who bends the rules in the name of justice. Blaine & Stabler agree to work together, and we're off. The new SVU unit finds the smoking "bat" in the fat boy's room. They question his sister on what she knows. She confesses that her brother beat the girl up because the girl was part of a group that beat up the fat boy's brother. The girl cries about how everyone is blaming her for being sexually assaulted. Later on, the African American community protests the unfair treatment of their brothers. The white folks are arrested, but the big boy cannot point out the girl. He does pick out the boy, though. In the SVU twist, the fat boy ends up going the SVU station and shots the white boy dead. In the end, it turns out that the girl who was sexually assaulted was FAT before and that's where her hatred comes from. Awesome episode until the predictable "she was fat" angle took place. Oh, the fat kid is found guilty, but he was not in court because he had kidney failure and his left foot was amputated. Blaine leaves the SVU team. ****1/2
- South Park: "TSST!"
The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, takes on his biggest challenge to date when he signs on to discipline Eric Cartman. The spoofs on ABC's "Super Nanny" are what you would expect from the folks over at South Park. Cartman finally succumbed to Millan's tactics, but his mother realizes that she wants him to be her friend, not her son. ***1/2
- My Name Is Earl: "BB"
Earl sets out to reunite an old crush with her estranged father. When he was just a boy, Earl shot Gwen Waters in the ass with his BB gun after seeing her with another boy. Unfortunately for Earl, Gwen's father is as crazy as it gets. ****1/2
- The Office: "Conflict Resolution"
Chaos ensues when Michael takes responsibility for the conflict resolution from the Human Relations department. There are a lot of office complaints made against everybody, which causes some major tension between the employees of Dunder-Muffin. ****
- The O.C.:
Ryan must make a deal with Volchok; Sandy receives an honor; Marissa visits her little sister at boarding school; Seth causes more trouble. The series continues to be plodding along with their plots, which seem to change every three weeks or so. I will stick around for the season finale, and if it sucks, I will stop watching the show for good. ***
- Justice League Unlimited: "Alive!"
Lex Luther is trying his best to bring Brainiac back. Unfortunately, all of his effort is for nothing. Luckily for Lex, the witch chick (she's f**king hot) helps out and allows Lex to see where Brainiac might be located at in space. Lex gives the Legion of Doom a choice: Join him or else. Later on, Gorilla Grodd is released by the witch lady after she has a tiff with Lex. Grodd leads half of LOD against Lex and his half. Lex ends up getting the better of Grodd and ships his monkey ass to space. Luther punishes the other half of the LOD for betraying him, and continues his quest to find Brainiac. Just when it turns out that Lex has finally brought Brainiac back, it turns out that he has brought DARKSEID back from the dead! OMFG!!! Darkseid seems to have given the LOD a quick death, but it later turns out that they survived their ship's explosion. Anyway, Darkseid returns to his home planet of Apokolips and brings order back to the planet, which has been in constant war since his death at the hands of Superman (?). Darkseid promises vengeance against Earth, but he will attack another planet first. Back to the LOD's survival, they go over to talk to the JL about their little problem. This was an AWESOME episode, but it left me scratching my head over little details, such as why Darkseid is back and not Brainiac or how the LOD survived their ultimate doom. Plus, Darkseid is not as powerful as Brainiac, right? Anyway, this coming Saturday is the FINAL episode of Justice League Unlimited and I can't wait for it. ****1/2
- Family Guy: "Petergeist"
Peter discovers an Indian burial ground in the backyard while trying to build a multiplex. Meanwhile, Stewie gets sucked into the television ala Poltergeist. There were several gags that were very funny, such as Ronald McDonald's appearance, the pedophile fighting to save Chris' life from an evil tree, Stewie pretending to be on Jackass, and a ton of the other good stuff. However, most of the episode was unoriginal, and the ending with Carrot Top was unspectacular. ***1/2
- American Dad: "With Friends Like Steve's"
Steve shows a lack of interest in Stan's job, so he is replaced with Barry (the fat kid). They end up fighting over Stan's attention, with Barry getting the better of Steve. After Steve is shipped off to an oil rig, Barry targets Francine because she is number one in Stan's eyes. It turns out that Barry is much more intelligent than he has led us to believe, although Steve discovers that it is because he is not taking his "retard pills" as he used to. Meanwhile, Roger joins a fraternity in order to get drunk on a regular basis. ****
The Nielsen Ratings for April 24th-30th, 2006
The unthinkable has finally happened this week in the ratings as FOX's American Idol is NOT the highest rated show of the week! CBS' CSI managed to topple the mighty show off of its throne. NBC continues to struggle to get a show (game shows do not count) in the top 10. ABC's Desperate Housewives' popularity has continued to shrink in its second season, but I expect the ratings to climb back up a bit before their season finale. And now, the rest of the ratings:
1. CSI (CBS) 17.1
2. American Idol (FOX) 16.7
3. American Idol (FOX) 16.6
4. House (FOX) 14.8
5. Desperate Housewives (ABC) 13.3
6. Grey's Anatomy (ABC) 13.3
7. CSI: Miami (CBS) 12.4
8. Without A Trace (CBS) 12.2
9. NCIS (CBS) 10.2
10. Survivor: Panama- Exile Island (CBS) 10.1
New TV-on-DVD Released Today: May 9th, 2006
- Scrubs: The Complete 3rd Season (Pick of the Week)
I'm picking the 3rd season of Scrubs as my pick of the week because I have not seen it in several years. I believe Michael J. Fox and Chris Meloni guest star in what is arguably the finest season that the show has had to date. Go buy it.
- Rescue Me: The Complete 2nd Season
- The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete 6th Season
- Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
- Everybody Loves Raymond: The Complete 6th Season
- The Facts of Life: The Complete 1st & 2nd Seasons
- The Golden Girls: Season 5
- Life Goes On: The Complete 1st Season
- Northern Exposure: Seasons 1 & 2
- Search For Adam & Eve: The 1st Season
- That 70's Show: Season 4
- Trailer Park Boys: Season 5
- The West Wing: The Complete 6th Season
The Vicious TV Babe of the Week:
Nadine Velazquez currently plays the juicy role of Catalina on NBC's "My Name is Earl." She is one hot and spicey latina, isn't she?
Viciously Ridiculous: Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher was on Oprah last Tuesday and she announced that RYAN SEACREST dumped her after the photos of the two were published all over the place. Hatcher mentioned that Ryan told her this: "I don't think I can do this with you." That is too f**king ridiculous. But as always, you have the final word on whether or not this is ridiculous. Damn, although she comes off as a pain in the ass, I would so [bleep] her. I mean, she was LOIS LANE, for Christ's sake!
Vicious TV Poll of the Week:
Last week's poll asked the following question: "Which is the best new show of the 2005-2006 TV Season?" The votes are in (a record 396 people voted) and the results are overwhelmingly in the favor of NBC's excellent My Name Is Earl (74%; 293 votes). Second place belonged to FOX's Prison Break (16%; 63 votes); "Other" came in third (6%; 22 votes); UPN's Everybody Hates Chris came in fourth (3%; 14 votes); ABC's Commander in Chief was last with only 1% (4 votes). This week's Vicious TV Poll question asks you the following:
- The Vicious TV News Wrap would like to send a Happy Birthday to 411's Tim O'Sullivan, who turned (enter number) over the weekend. Speaking of Tim, I will be a guest on this weekend's "Fact or Fiction: TV Special."
The Vicious Wrap-up:
If you have any comment, thought or complaint regarding anything TV related, you may opine via electronic mail below. I have been thinking about adding a "Vicious Feedback" section for e-mails sent my way regarding the television world. Of course, I will need actual mail to read, so opine.
The Vicious TV News Wrap Credits:
Written & Directed by Steve Vicious
Art/Graphic Designs by SteveCorp
Executive Producers: Steve Vicious, Ashish Pabari & Scott Rutherford
Original Concept by Scott Rutherford & Steve Vicious
A SteveCorp.net & 411mania.com Presentation
On the Next Vicious TV News Wrap (EP#34): May 16th, 2006
- I'm not sure what to write about for next week's show, so expect the unexpected.
- ABC pulls 'Commander in Chief'
- E3 2006 coverage on G4 this week!!!
- So long, 7th Heaven
- "Who wants to be a Super Hero?"
- Pamela Anderson is still "Stacked"
- Matthew Perry returns to NBC
- The Housewives reunite
- So Long, Justice League Unlimited
- I Pity the fool who does not watch this show
- Randy Jackson staying with AI
- Anderson Cooper heading to 60 Minutes?
- Boston Legal staying put
- A Star Burns Out
- Speaking of Rosie...
- Charlie Sheen is being sued (again???)
- A Win for Gold Diggers Everywhere
- The Sopranos coming to a console near you
The Nielsen Ratings for April 24th-30th, 2006
Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher was on Oprah last Tuesday and she announced that RYAN SEACREST dumped her after the photos of the two were published all over the place. Hatcher mentioned that Ryan told her this: "I don't think I can do this with you." That is too f**king ridiculous. But as always, you have the final word on whether or not this is ridiculous. Damn, although she comes off as a pain in the ass, I would so [bleep] her. I mean, she was LOIS LANE, for Christ's sake! 
