See Ya!

Hey guys! Thanks for checking in on the site. I guess this is as good a time as any to let you know that as of right now my plan is to take down the site sometime in mid-April. I just don't have the time or energy to put into it any more. I have had so much fun blogging about television over the last couple of years, but the time is right for me to focus my energy on other things.

I have come up with a few projects that I need to give my full attention to and this site is one of the sacrifices that I am having to make. I'm going to leave the page up for the next few weeks just in case I change my mind...it's always possible. As of right now though I won't be renewing the domain name and I'll let it lapse into oblivion.

I can't tell you how awesome it's been writing for you guys and getting your feed back on all of the great television out there. You guys helped me make sense of LOST. You helped me to join the ranks of American Idol viewers and find a constructive way to watch that show. And you all got me through the summers and the writer's strike with Big Brother conversation.

Let me make clear that my love of television isn't gone. I'm still a junkie and I'm still going to be watching a ton of shows. I just won't be jotting down my thoughts on them any more. But if you ever wanna talk TV, all you gotta do is gimme a call.

I'll still be keeping up with my personal blog and you're welcome to come over and read that. I'll probably even talk a little more TV over there now. If you don't have the web address for that blog, but would like to read it just email me and I'll give you the link.


Thanks again!

-CREE

American Idol Results

There wasn't a whole lot on television last night. I watched the new Big Bang Theory, which I thought was hilarious and the we watched American Idol. I didn't have a chance to post my top three and bottom three performances from Wednesday...but if I had, this is what it would have looked like:

Bottom 3:
Stefano
Karen
Ashton

Top 3:
James
Pia
Casey

Ashton went home...deservedly. I would have sent Stefano home myself, based strictly on those performances and not anything else. The judges seemed to like his butchering of the Stevie Wonder song though.

I'm a fan of all of the producers working with the artists. It's a fun perspective and I know that they're glad they stole that idea from The X Factor before that show hits the airwaves in the fall.

-CREE

Glee - Holly's Pickle

I've accepted that Glee is what it is. It's never going to be a show that slows down and really invests in plot. The only thing plot does is get in the way of getting to the next song. But, the return of Gwyneth Paltrow is a good reason to post about the show.

Paltrow's Holly, like previous guest star Kristen Chenoweth's April, brings an energy to the show that it sometimes lacks. This is especially true in Will's scenes. Matthew Morrison is a fine actor and he sings well. Unfortunately many times he comes across as awkward and creepy since he's singing and dancing with kids all the time. These guest turns allow him to be more adult and therefore more organically involved in the show.

I really enjoyed Paltrow's first visit and now they've set up a situation for her to stick around a little longer by getting involved with Will. The timing of course is perfect for the soap opera...I mean prime time show...because of course Emma just broke up with her husband over her love for Will. If this was a show I was supposed to take seriously, I'd bail right here and never look back. But this isn't a show meant to be savored for it's great writing. It's meant to be funny and sweet and silly and full of song.

And for what it is...it's enjoyable. And I won't judge it for what it's not.

-CREE

Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter

I listen to a ton of music and sometimes albums slip past me and I don't get back around to them for a long time. The debut album from American Idol alum Crystal Bowersox is one of those albums. Released in December, just before Christmas, the album dropped with little fan fare. In fact the Idol runner up only moved 58,000 copies in her first week.

I was a big fan of hers during the show and I always felt like if she found just the right niche she would be a runaway star. Unfortunately, Farmer's Daughter is just a mediocre offering of country and americana styled tunes that don't do anything to highlight the crooner's raspy, powerful voice.

Really, if Melissa Etheridge went country, this is the album you'd expect to hear. It's not that it's bad...it's just extremely underwhelming. Her voice is so commanding and he never pushes it enough to grab your attention. If Farmer's Daughter was playing over the speaker in a store you'd never stop and ask "who is this?"

After poor sales I wonder if Jive will drop her from the label. It might be in her best interest, because this is not the artist that Simon and others knew she could become.

-CREE

American Idol - Power Rankings

Here's the first look at my 2011 American Idol Power Rankings. I've got my favorite to win it all listed at number one and then we're counting down from there. The rankings will change weekly and I assure you they'll probably look a lot different at the end than they do now. Although, I did pretty much nail the Davids as the final two a couple of years ago and Adam and Kris the year after that.

13. Naima Adedapo
12. Haley Reinhart
11. Stefano Langone
10. Ashton Jones
9. Jacob Lusk
8. James Durbin
7. Karen Rodriguez
6.Thia Megia
5. Lauren Alaina
4. Scotty McCreary
3. Pia Toscana
2. Paul McDonald
1. Casey Abrams

-CREE

House - The Relapse

House is one of those shows that I watch for the main character and not really for any other reason. I like Taub and I root for him, but after they back-burnered Cameron, Chase, and to some extent Foreman for the better part of two years I've found it hard to invest any one other than House himself.

I went into last night's episode expecting great things. After all the commercials did give us a hint of Hugh Laurie singing. And that's always a bonus in my book. And after complaining the last few weeks that nothing significant was really happening this season, the show dropped a bombshell on us...and I hated it.

I was one of the vocal viewers who always complained that House wasn't growing as a character. And after several years I was ready to write off him and the show. Then last season started off with the amazing Andre Braugher episodes and I was hooked. House was becoming a better man. He was growing. He was learning. And he had kicked the Vicodin habit. Hooray for House.

And the end of last season gave the fans of Huddy what they've begged for...but none of us expected what came next. A happy House ultimately means a boring House. But, being that I didn't want to be a hypocrite I kept my mouth shut and just tried to enjoy the show for what it had become; an average procedural.

After last night I feel even more cheated than ever. Not only was last year's tiring effort to see Cuddy and her fiance break up all for naught, but I feel like the writers never gave House and Cuddy's relationship a chance to succeed. Every week something popped up that made the viewer wonder if this was the week that House was going to ruin the relationship. And while House was a different - and happier - person, there was never a doubt that this train was going to derail before long.

Now House is back on the pain killers. The love of his life left him...even though she knew that he'd fallen off the wagon and leaving him now is only going to fuel his addiction. And we're back to square one. With House on drugs, about to be a cranky ass again. And that's good for people who like mindless drama and a few funny lines each week. But for those of us who care about character growth and change, especially after investing six years in a show, we've all just been shat upon.

-CREE

Checking Back In On Lights Out

I touted "Lights Out" as a smart gritty boxing drama with a crime angle thrown in for good measure. I said that you should check it out and enjoy the great performances, especially the one by leading man Holt McCallany.

So after half the season has passed and Lights Leary has made his triumphant return to the ring I wanted to check back in on the show and tell you my thoughts about it now.

Truth is, I'm struggling to watch it every week. The show had several major things working against it early on. First, it's a show about boxing. There's hardly a sport in faster decline the the pugilistic art of boxing. And the low viewer turn-out proves that to be the case. Secondly, every cliched story you could imagine doing around boxing has been done to death. Hell, there were 6 Rocky films alone. They pretty much chewed up all of the possible stories by the third one.

But, I dove in based on the strong reviews and the solid first episode. However I quickly realized several things. Mixed Martial Arts and boxing have something that shows about those sports don't...legitimate action. No matter how many slow-motion, shaky camera shots you throw in there, you can't make a fake fight look real. And it detracts from every thing else.


Secondly, this show never fully embraced it's criminal side. If you want to make a show about the shady underbelly of the sport, great...but go for it fully. Instead we get a few showy and a few shadowy figures lurking about, but no one really doing anything too crazy to make me fear for the lead's life.

And lastly, Patrick 'Lights' Leary has a really tough family to love. From his nagging wife to his concerned, yet nagging daughter I can't stand to hear any of them talk. Then there's his screw up brother who should never be allowed near Patrick again, yet one fight into the comeback and Johnny's got all of his power back.

Aside from a great performance by Reg. E. Cathey as boxing promoter Barry Word and a menacing stare down by McCallany, Lights Out is a show that would probably have worked a lot better with a different focus. And with these dismal ratings and the show losing its luster quickly I have a feeling it's going to be knocked out before long.

-CREE

Thanks Beale Street Music Festival

Thanks to a post I wrote back in 2009 about the Beale Street Music Festival I had more hits on my page yesterday than I ever have before. Over 500 people must have googled the festival and found my site. Crazy.

I'm sure they were disappointed to find the 2009 line-up and not the 2011 one, but hey, if even two or three people stuck around to read a different article then I'm happy.

Speaking of Music Fest, I'm pretty pleased with the line-up this year. I'd love to see The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Flaming Lips, Lucinda Williams, and Stone Temple Pilots. I think there's a great mix of genres coming together and I have no doubt that it will be one of the most successful years in the festival's history.

I still don't think that's enough to make me go. I hate crowds of that size. Not only are they a pain to maneuver through, but they generally ruin performances for me. It's just not my scene. I'd rather travel a couple of hours and see these bands at a club with other fans of those specific bands.

-CREE

American Idol - Final 13

I'll be honest. When I saw that we were going to be getting 2 hours of results I puckered up like I'd drop the soap in a prison shower. But believe it or not, it was pretty damn painless. I won't go as far as calling it enjoyable, but the final hour was pretty intense.

I'm going to post my first power rankings of the season sometime later today. I will put my favorite to win it all at the very top. And I'll count down from there. I agreed with Ashton and Stefano both getting the wild cards after their performances. I'd probably have chosen Robbie over Naima for the final spot.

But I can't really argue with America's decision. It's a very strong top 10.

As much as I disliked Clint Gamboa I really think he got the short end of the stick in this whole thing. The editors made him look like a total tool and he had no shot of getting the votes he needed to stay in. Seeing him go doesn't bother me...Jordan either. They just painted him into a corner and then didn't even give him a chance to sing for his life.

-CREE

Jimmy Fallon as Charlie Sheen