Daily Show - Random Thought
Janice said pretty much all there was to say about our experience at the Daily Show taping, so I'll just say this: I respect and admire Jon Stewart, but I have non-sexual man-crush on Stephen Colbert.
TV Archives
Daily Show Taping
Barring the existence of a retraining order against me because of my hobo advice, I will be attending a taping of the Daily Show tomorrow.
I'm very excited. Janice arranged the whole thing. She's the bestest fiancee ever.
Number 1 Single
I can't quite believe it, but I find #1 Single, riveting. If you haven't seen it, it's a dating reality show where Lisa Loeb is looking for a husband.
I've never particularly been a huge fan of Lisa Loeb, but for some reason this show is facinating. I think because it is in sharp relief to other celebrity reality shows. She's not pathetic, or obnoxious, she's actually pretty sweet. She's also really normal, or edited that way.
My favorite clip was the guy who sang "Stay" on karaoke to her.
I'm shocked that something this positive is on E.
The Religous Right is Stupid
It's not because of the views on religion, or the issues, or even Intelligent Design. No, I'm calling them stupid because they are pressuring to NBC affiliates not to air "The Book of Daniel." It's this new show with Aiden Quinn as an Episcopal priest with a disfunctional family. He also talks to Jesus, and Jesus talks back. Groups like James Dobson's Focus on the Family are against it because it portrays Jesus in a less than Christ-like manner. They've even managed to get two stations to drop the show.
Now, I'm disputing their claims. I agree that the project tends to de-Jesufy Jesus. However, I also think the project looks like it's going to suck. Go watch the trailer if you don't believe me (it's linked from the main page.) So it should get terrible ratings right? Not if news outlets are reporting that Christians are boycotting. Now everyone wants to see what the big deal is about.
In short, Religious Right, if you truly want this show to go away, Shut the hell up!
Craig's Variety Show Episode 2... No Really
Okay, you may have read this post and assumed I was lying about a new episode of Craig's Variety Show airing on New Years Day. Evidently they made a mistake and aired our first episode instead. To make up for it, they are airing it this weekend.
So TiVo, tape, or pirate Craig's Variety Show Episode 2 this week Sunday, January 8, 2:40am
Fraggle Rock
I'm watching Fraggle Rock, and you aren't. Unless you are. In which case stop hidng in my living room.
Craig's Variety Show Episode 2 Finally
After many tries, we finally have a date for Craig's Variety Show, Episode 2... It's NewYears Day at 6 AM Channel 12. I'm sure everyone will watch it...
Okay, I'm sure everyone will TiVo it right?
Last Call With Carson Daly
I find myself embarassed to say this, but not only do I occasionally watch Last Call, but it's growing on me.
I don't know if that makes me current or just really immature.
The Office Imitates Life
Every week, I watch The Office, and it seems like more and more of it is like my work. Granted we don't make paper, and Bob Z is no Michael Scott, but the similarities abound. Michael does improv - I did improv. Pam and Jim have a secret work place crush on each other. Janice and I kept ours secret for awhile. Michael forces employees to participate in an embarassing work party complete with award ceremony. Bob Z...
Nevermind.. there's nothing similar about The Office and my job.
If you actualy read this Bob, I'm just kidding.
Proposition 27 on TV
I forgot about this, Proposition 27, will also be on WHYY this Sunday morning at 5:45 AM.
I can't find it on TiVo. So you all have to stay up and watch it.
Eugene Elliot on TV
Speaking of upcoming TV sightings, Citizen Wumpus' magnum opus, "Eugene Elliot" will be on WHYY this Saturday at 4:20 AM.
Stay up and watch it... or just TiVo it.
Cousin in How I Met your Mother
I got to hang out with my family while I was out in LA after Max. I ran in to my cousin, Robert Michael Ryan. Turns out he's going to be in an upcoming episode of "How I Met Your Mother." He will play brother to the character Marshall for the Thanksgiving episode.
It's a good show (I've watched a couple episodes now.) So watch it, and hopefully we'll give my cousin more residual checks.
Demand Rolodex Girl
Whyy will be presenting Rolodex Girl on Comcast onDemand from November to January. Make sure to watch it, it's free!. I'm not sure what effect it has on Citizen Wumpus if you do so. But I cannot prove you will not die if you don't watch it. I'm not saying you will. But you can't be too careful.
So watch it.
Craig's Variety Show Episode 2
Finally after months of hemming, hawing, time wasting, procrastinating, and even blocrastinating the next episode of Craig's Variety Show is finished. It includes Magnetism and Rolodex Girl and it should be on WHYY sometime in the next few months.
So make sure you block them off on your calendar. You don't want to miss it.
USA Character Campaign
I'm a huge fan of USA's Sunday night line up. Specifically, The Dead Zone and The 4400. USA has a campaign titled "Characters Welcome" I can't help but find myself riveted by them. They're each little short stories with their characters. Johnny Smith from the Dead Zone sees a girl's doll blown up by her brother. Maya from The 4400 positions her friend just right to catch a homerun outside of a baseball stadium. It's a brilliant campaign because it gives us something we as viewers want to see, but never get to: our favorite characters on their day off. Pretty interesting, I think this is an awesome way to drum up excitement in the shows, while giving fans what they want.
Catching up on Intervention
I'm watching yet another episode of the show, ironically, I feel compelled to watch: Intervention. It's been a while since I've caught up with the show. They've seemingly changed the format. One person per episode, more focus on why these people should be saved. I find myself unable to stop watching. They also seem to focus on the interventionist and the strengthening of family. I seem to like that. Congrats on the better format.
Tonight's profile: Sara, a meth addict. She's a sad former beauty queen with an, out of place in this context, Minnesota accent. She's lost a job, marriage, child custody, a house. It's hard to watch the revolving door nature of the addict's life, and I can't tell if the family has been weakened by the addiction, or the weakness helped facilitate the addiction. I have a feeling that it's probably a little of both. I wonder though if the "weakness" I'm seeing is just the fact that the average family can't really deal with real addiction. I feel bad for the family but not so much for Sara. She's walking out, then they call for this guy, "Redding," and he does the trick. They should call him in all the time. That'd be pretty cool.
They showed a really positive denoument, but it's still pretty short. All in all I like this format much better, but I still hope for longer follow ups in the future.
Amy Sherman-Palladino, You Thief!
I was watching Gilmore Girls tonight.
What was featured? A robotic vacuum, a Roomba!
What was Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) fear? That it would consume her.
Sorry, Amy. We did it here first. Proposition 27.
(Yes, I directly address her, 'cause Amy Sherman-Palladino trolls the Citizenwumpus Blogs.)
More Intervention Goodness
I'm watching the Gambler and the Shopper epidode of Intervention. My jury is still out. They did a better job of giving us a more sympathetic view of the addicts.
The actress Vanessa was extremely sympathetic. I think they did a really good job of showing her agorabphobia, which drives her addiction. Additionally the self awareness she had was a little heartbraking. Her psychologist seemed to just prescribe drugs and do nothing else. Agoraphobia is usually comorbid or even caused by G.A.D which responds very well to Cognitive Therapy. Quack.
She seems to take the intervention very well.
Gabe, Gabe, Gabe. I had high hopes for him, he was the reason I was here. His sound bite replayed during reruns of Crossing Jordan compelled me to watch. However, his lack of self awareness and addiction-driven selfishless makes him very unlikable. He says things like "I think when you have kids you're responsible for them for the rest of your life... You sell your house if you have to..." Which his parents did.
I felt bad for borrowing money from my parents to buy my house. I did not gamble away $80,000 of their money. Puts my Catholic guilt in perspective.
His intervention was rough. He subltly implies "I will kill myself because of this intervention." His interventioner was awesome. "I will call 911 if you are serious. Are you serious?" Suicide talk ended. Finally, Gabe said his money line:
"You're forcing me to get on a plane tonight when I don't even have all my stuff packed, and I don't have any control over anything...
They made me wait for it. But it was worth it. His intervention is very dramatic, no wonder he was the sound bite guy. He teeters but he finally goes. This episode had me.
But then they blew it. They had a 5 second post mortum on them. And they made it pretty clear that they were unsucessful.
I came for Gabe, I stayed for Vanessa. I fear neither will have a happy ending.
I will say this much more clearly then the last time. (As if the producers are reading...) Rework this show. Interventions are not good ending beats cause they leave the more uregent question in the audience's mind - Will they recover? - unanswered. Cut it back to one person per episode, make me root for the person, then show me what happens to them. The intervention should be the climax, but we need a longer denouement.
New Video Added
Home taking care of my sick girlfriend, so I finally had time to take care of a couple things I've been meaning to. Like adding the last sketch of Craig's Variety Show to the site.
If you watched on Tivo, you may have noticed WHYY's flexible relationship with time late at night.
So if you mised it, please check it out on the Video section of Craig's Variety Show.
Ratings for Craig's Variety Show
We got the ratings back for Craig's Variety Show. We got a .2 share, which is roughly 15,000 people. At first I was kinda disappointed... Then I realized that 15,000 people is more than have ever watched anything I have ever done.
Very Exciting.
My First Opening Credits
I'm putting together Craig's Variety Show, and hopefully I'll post more information about it soon. But I got to design my first set of opening titles meant for TV. I'm thinking it looks pretty good. Any thoughts?
By the way, the music is an original composition by Michael Worth.
I've posted the video in the extended version of this entry.
Spell Check on TV
So I was in a short film named Spell Check about a year back. It was on Whyy this Sunday, and my mom randomly saw it.
Go back in time and watch it, Sunday October 17th at 5:20.
