Thursday Top Threes: Don't get it

J: Top three pop-culture phenomena that you just can't get into.

Jennifer:
1. Oprah, in general. Last episode, whatever.
2. The Simpsons: I've watched some episodes here and there but I just don't get the appeal. I can't believe it's been on for 22 years.
3. e-books: The actual e-readers (Kindle in particular) have grown on me but as someone who reads a lot and currently gets everything free from the library, I can't get on board with having to buy e-books. I'll have to reconsider if and when a better library lending model is implemented.

Mira:
1. Twitter and all of its spin-offs to include FourSquare. I tried it, really. But it's tiresome following 1391243 celebrities random musings and I know no one cares about my random musings. So seriously, how has it become this major trend? And why the heck are random words chosen to be #hashmarks???
2. Justin Bieber. I seriously can get into anything and everything teenybopper-y. But I really don't understand the craze for him.
3. Survivor: I can't believe the show has been running for that long. Admittedly I only started watching The Amazing Race this season and loved it; but I'm not quite sure I understand the appeal and the long lastability (durability?) of Survivor.

Fall 2011 Upfronts

It's season finale time, which also means...upfronts! Here are my thoughts on the networks' schedules for next season.

NBC:

• Somewhat surprisingly Chuck was renewed for a 13-episode 5th and final season. Sometimes I'm a bit lukewarm on this show but I'm glad that the writers are getting the advance notice to end the show properly.
• The Sing-off is getting an expanded season to be a placeholder until The Voice comes back in spring. I liked the show a lot but partly because it was so short. Not sure how the new format will be...and Nicole Scherzinger is out because she's hosting Fox' The X-Factor.
• The Playboy Club - Trying to be Mad Men-esque, I suppose with its 60s setting. I'm not a big Eddie Cibrian fan though.
• Grimm - Something about fairy tales. Didn't really make sense to me but I give all the genre stuff a chance.
• Awake (midseason) - High-concept drama about man who gets into a car accident with his family and finds himself living two parallel lives -- one where his wife died and one where his son did -- and doesn't know which is real and which is a dream. This kind of show seems to always get cancelled though.

FOX:

• The X-Factor - Of course. I'll watch it.
• New Girl - I like Zooey Deschanel so I hope this one's funny.
• Terra Nova - Strong possibility this will be a trainwreck. But there are dinosaurs?
• Alcatraz (midseason) - Also sort of sci-fi-ish about former prisoners returning or something.
• Napoleon Dynamite (midseason) - I don't watch any of FOX's animated shows but I'm a big fan of the movie and the entire original cast is voicing this, so I'll at least check it out. 

ABC:

• I've never blogged about it but at some point I became a fan of Cougar Town and I'm a little bummed that it's being pushed to midseason. 
• ABC cancelled a whole lot of stuff, including No Ordinary Family, Brothers & Sisters, Off the Map, Mr. Sunshine...
• Pan Am - ABC's attempt to be Mad Men-esque about the pilots and flight attendants of the erstwhile airline.
• Once Upon a Time - Another fairy-tale-related drama. This one seems to make even less sense. 
• Charlie's Angels - Not really interested but seems obligatory. 
• Apartment 23 (midseason) - James Van Der Beek plays himself?? He seems to be doing alright making a career of spoofing himself.

CBS:

• 2 Broke Girls - It's CBS so this will probably be pretty conventional but I really like Kat Dennings and it sounds like it'll be a good companion for How I Met Your Mother. 
• Person of Interest - Michael Emerson from Lost was all I needed to hear. I don't watch any CBS dramas but I'll check this out.

CW:

• Whew, Nikita was renewed! Unfortunately it's being banished to Friday nights with Supernatural. Supernatural does have a lot of rabid fans though so hopefully that will be good for Nikita. 
• One Tree Hill NEVER DIES! Ok actually this is going to be the final season. 
• Hellcats dead. Oh well. It got kinda bad near the end.
• Ringer - I called it last year that Sarah Michelle Gellar needs to come back to TV, and it's happening! Originally this show was rumored for CBS but I think the CW is a much better fit, plus the ratings expectations will be much lower. I hope it's worthy. I don't like that it's being paired with 90210 though.
• Hart of Dixie - Josh Schwartz (The OC, Gossip Girl, Chuck) vehicle for Rachel Bilson. I like her a lot too but a bit skeptical of the concept (NYC doctor moves to Southern town).
• The Secret Circle - From the same author as The Vampire Diaries and same producer, this time with witches! Britt Robertson is starring and I did like her on Life Unexpected before the show went completely off the rails.

Thursday Top Threes: looking for a job?

M: What tv/movie/book jobs, as in ones that belong to characters, would you most like to have?

Mira:
1. In a very short-lived sitcom called The Return of Jezebel James, Parker Posey's character was a children's literature editor. I've always thought that would be the perfect job for me!
2. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey)'s job on 30 Rock. Head writer for a TV show!
3. Toss up between: Annie Walker (Piper Perabo) on Covert Affairs. Knowing a bajillion languages and having traveled the world = perfect skillsets needed to be a kick-ass spy? Sounds like a fun! (Okay, so I'm too much of a wimp to actually do all the ass kicking...) Colin Firth's character on Love Actually -- to be a novelist on a lake in Portugal, what a life!

Jennifer:
1. In this silly little webseries Rockville, CA, one of the characters, Deb, was a talent scout for a record company. Probably makes no money but going to clubs and listening to bands as your job sounds like it would be really fun (for awhile at least).
2. Caterer by day, spy by night! Um, yeah...this show (Undercovers) got cancelled.
3. Owning, running, and living on a beautiful Napa Valley winery like the dad in The Parent Trap. Sign me up!

Thursday Top Threes: Biographies/Biopics!

B: guestblogger in da house! so, what are your favorite biographies or biopics?

Burkie:

1. Jim Thorpe: Indian Athlete by G. Van Riper. this was one of a series of juvenile biographies that i read. i read most of them, but the one about Jim Thorpe got me hooked on this series, on biographies, and on reading in general. i must have read it at least a dozen times.

2. Lawrence of Arabia. the 1962 movie starring peter o'toole. a stunningly beautiful movie starring a stunningly handsome actor (yes, i said it), about a fascinating man. if you've never seen it, i highly recommend it.

3. Shakespeare (The Illustrated and Updated Edition) by Bill Bryson. i love bryson's writing and i love shakespeare, so this is a no-brainer for me!

Jennifer: I don't really read biographies...not that I don't like non-fiction, I just don't have time. No biopics came to mind right away either, so these are sort of random.
1. Bright Star. I'm not really into poetry either but I loved this film about the last few years of John Keats' life. Abbie Cornish is fantastic as Keats' fiancée Fanny Brawne.
2. Amadeus. It's been a long time since I've seen this but I still remember quite a lot of it, especially Mozart's ridiculous giggle.
3. Becoming Jane/Miss Austen Regrets. Mostly fictionalized but people love to speculate on what Jane Austen was like and I'm happy to join in.

Mira: Somehow my edits disappeared. :(
1. Shakespeare in Love: A fictionalized rendition of Shakespeare's life but oh-so-good. Plus I love how they mixed in the storylines/characters of the plays into his supposed "real life."
2. Walk the Line: Did not really know much about Johnny Cash, his music, or his life. But I really enjoyed the powerful story told here and thought that the actors chosen to play Johnny and June were fantastic!
3. Remember the Titans: I'm a sucker for feel good sports movies. And you make it based on a true story? Even better! Plus, I love how they show you what happened to the different kids afterward. A close fourth was Miracle.

Thursday Top Threes: Weddings!

J: Watching the Royal Wedding last week (loved it!) got me thinking about wedding movies. What are your top three wedding movies (or just wedding scenes)?

Mira: Great question, Jenn... and hard! :)
1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I haven't seen this movie in ages, but a really fun one that well captures the craziness of family.
2. Bride Wars. A little strong on the bridezilla aspect of weddings, but I enjoyed watching the two brides create competing "perfect weddings."
3. Rachel Getting Married. Maybe I just like Anne Hathaway. But I thought this wedding was so kooky. Lotsa movies (especially Bollywood ones) do Indian movies but this Indian-themed wedding was just so... random!

Jennifer:
1. The Wedding Singer - I'm not even really an Adam Sandler fan but this was the first thing that came to mind. The 80s references were kind of out of control but overall very funny and sweet.
2. Monsoon Wedding - Half in English and half in Hindi, a really fascinating and fun movie about the craziness of a big Indian wedding.
3. Wedding scene from The Sound of Music - It was so formal and elaborate with all the bowing and such but then the nuns are singing "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" in the background. Odd but rather memorable combination.