The two episodes preceding these had been disappointing to say the least. After a white hot pilot, they were a complete let down, they spun tales of the Mrs. Magoo of lawyering muddling her way through trials and barely squeaking out a verdict. These last two were not. Were there trials? Absolutely. But were there well executed debates within these trials? Finally, once again, a resounding yes.

David E. Kelley has chosen to make this show a soapbox, to get up and say what isn’t being said. There are issues in the world we live in and for one reason or another, the mainstream media is choosing to ignore or very barely cover them. Harry’s Law has stepped in and decided to right the wrong, to bring the debates to the forefront and intelligently argue both sides. The first, something everybody’s had. Some like it, others avoid it because they recognize what it is. It’s addicting, effects your mind’s chemistry and can lead to heart and liver disease, respiratory problems and even stroke. Fast food. Whatever side of the fence you’re on, whether you willingly consume it or avoid it like the plague one thing must be acknowledged, with every bite we are no different than drug addicts, alcoholics and smokers. I say we because as I watched I was enjoying a 36% beef taco from Taco Bell. Proof. 

While I refuse to blame the fast food industry for the shape I’m in, they posed an interesting question. At what point can the industry be held accountable? When can we start to blame them for selling mostly deadly products? I have my thoughts, what are yours? At this juncture, I will move on to the next episode…

Another topic that’s gone by the wayside. Lawyers the form of law that they practice currently. As the show points out, lawyers used to be revered for their profession and now due to their tactics there are… less so.

At this point, if I could do their stance any justice by commentating I would, but instead I urge you to check it out from whatever provider you prefer. Mine is Hulu. Just sayin’. So check them out, specifically episodes one, four and five. Feel free to tune in to the others but you can’t say I didn’t warn you.

• KC – Laura Prepon as Cheslea Handler? what what!?

• KC - re-air of Smallville pilot and Michael Rosenbaum returns!
• JC – Wonder Woman Cast
• DC - Burn Notice Prequel Made for TV movie gets air date!

TV Premieres!

• Wed., Feb. 16
  • Survivor: Redemption Island (CBS), 8 p.m.
  • Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS), 10 p.m.

• Sun., Feb. 20
  • The Amazing Race (CBS), 8 p.m.
• Mon., Feb. 14
  • Mad Love (CBS), 8:30 p.m.
• Wed., Feb. 23

• America’s Next Top Model (CW), 8 p.m.
• Shedding for the Wedding (CW), 9 p.m.
• Mon., Feb. 28

• The Event (NBC), 9 p.m.

TV Cancellations and Renewals!

• Cancelled
  • Live to Dance
• Renewed
  • Portlandia

Pool Shows!

• Community
  • Advanced Dungeons and
  • Early 21st Century Romanticism
• Parks and Recreation
  • Time Capsule
  • Ron & Tammy: Part Two
• Big Bang Theory
  • The Benefactor Factor

Discussion Question!
http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/comedy-centralmtv-networks-comedy-awards-announce-nominations/

Shout Outs!

• KC – Not so much a TV show – but an interesting and honest view on Parenthood.  http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/02/16/parenthood-too-real/
• KC – shout out to the preview for next week’s Royal Pains (3 seconds of gasp worthiness)
• JC –  Jeopardy! Justified!
• DC – The Office.  Announced first of three new cast members that will be added upon the departure of Steve Carrell.

News!

• KC – NBC’s potential pilots
• JC – Lucy Lawless on No ordinary Family (And you should watch it!)
• DC – Bones app on iPad

Pool Shows!

• Chuck
  • Chuck vs, the Push Mix

• How I Met Your Mother
  • Oh Honey

• Parenthood
  • Opening Night

• Castle
  • Knockdown
• Big Bang Theory
  • The Love Car Displacement
  • The Thespian Catalyst

Premieres!

• Traffic Light – Fox, Feb 8th 9:30pm
• Top Shot – History, Feb 8th 10pm
• Mr Sunshine – ABC, Feb 9th 9:30pm
• Justified – FX, Feb 9th 10pm
• Survivor – CBS, Feb 16th, 8pm

Shout Outs!

• KC – Being Human
• JC – Lights Out
• DC – NCIS – flashback episode including new scenes from an old and dead character.
• DC Pt 2 – House – Candace Bergen from Murder She Wrote

Ms. Munn has suddenly made the jump to mainstream.  She shows up on the Daily Show from time to time and she now is part of the cast of Perfect Couples (NBC, 830 PM).  Here’s the thing.  She’s not any better mainstream than she was talking nerdy on Attack of the Show.

I’ll start with Perfect Couples since we are only two episodes in.  6 individuals, 3 couples.  I like 2 out of 3 couples.  Can you guess the one I don’t like?  This show isn’t anything new, but sometimes people don’t mind that.  What I do mind though is just…well so many things.  Munn isn’t a very good actress and the character that she is playing is completely unrealistic and in general kind of a horrible person.  (I’m a sucker for nice people, what can I say.)  The gent that’s playing her hubby (Hayes MacArthur) isn’t much better of an actor either.  Munn + MacArthur = the couple that will completely take this show out. Perfect Couples probably won’t make it past its initial run (sorry Kyle Bornheimer) and honestly believe that it is this couple – Rex and Leigh that are most of the undoing of the show.  Any couple that uses a damn self help book to figure out how to share a bed, or doesn’t get the concept of “its my damn anniversary, I don’t want to hang out with anyone other than my significant other” is a moron.  Is the writing her fault…nah – but her crappy acting certainly is.  And now to the Daily Show.

I love Jon Stewart.  A lot.  Serious, funny, sarcastic, talking to people that write big books that I have no interest in…I love him in all varieties.  Up until he’s sharing the stage with Olivia Munn.  I’m easily confused by why he thinks this girl is funny.  I’ve seen a couple of her pieces and they are NOT funny.  The Daily Show is supposed to be funny damnit – and she ruins that.  Here’s to hoping that Perfect Couples does get picked up and she can’t be on the Daily Show anymore.

Is it fair to attack her like this?  A little.  I don’t necessarily get the appeal of her – don’t find her particularly attractive, funny or a good actress (as referenced above).  Sure, she was the eye candy on AOTS (ha!  You didn’t think I knew that!) but the new girl is way cuter than her.  And sarcasm is fully expected on the Daily Show but she misses the point of sarcasm.

Maybe I’m wrong – but guess what?  I don’t care.  No one is allowed to ruin the Daily Show (that included you Mr. President), plus I woke up thinking about how much I dislike her character on Perfect Couples and now you have your first official SOCIAL COMMENTARY blog.

AKA:  Olivia Munn is in fact ruining good TV.

KC Sunshine is out, PEACE!

As our biggest supporter of the USA Network and all of it’s original programming and sweet movie marathons, I feel it is my duty to weigh in on their newest series, Fairly Legal.

The show stars Sarah Shahi, as ex-attorney Kate Reed who chose to stop practicing law to pursue building bridges rather than destroying them, as she so succinctly compares mediation to lawyering. Her life is a bit adrift when we meet her. Her father recently died and she had taken a short absence (about a week) to recover from the tragedy before getting back to the family business. Kate is the on-site mediator, the one who creates win/win situations out of the usual win/really, really lose situations. She takes on cases of all shapes and sizes from United Nations border disputes between Colombia and Nicaragua (sort of) to lawsuits involving family heirlooms. By being the person in the middle, she gets invested in both sides of the quarrel and teaches both sides the great arts of compromise and understanding.

She is flanked by a cast that her phone would leave you to believe is straight from the Wizard of Oz. Her brother Spencer, The Scarecrow aka Ethan Embry, is currently a lawyer who chose family over work and is a stay at home dad. Leo, The Cowardly Lion or Baron Vaughn, is her trusty assistant willing to do whatever it takes to help. Ex-husband and current “friend with benefits” Justin, The Tinman (Michael Trucco), is the Assistant District Attorney she turns to in times of need and “need.” Where would this cast be without The Wicked Witch, stepmom Lauren, played by Virginia Williams who is currently Kate’s boss and The Wizard who is no longer with us, Teddy “Dad” Reed.

Enough summary? I think so. First impressions it is. The show itself was solid. Nothing amazing about it but also no real downsides. It’s safe. The characters feel new enough to feel like nothing we’ve seen on USA before but at the same time familiar, as if we are catching up with old friends from a past life. The writing is good, funny occasionally and endearing often. Do I want to keep watching? Absolutely. Will I keep watching if something better comes along? Right now, no. But this is only the pilot. There were no real sticking points for me but the show itself lacked pizzazz. Nothing really hooked me and made me want to keep watching episode after episode. It’s setup as a series recording on my DVR but will be one of the first deleted to make room for other shows.

“Characters Welcome” is the slogan on USA and given enough time, the characters will be all you need to become engrossed in their shows. Fairly Legal is no different. In personal preference, Fairly Legal outranks Covert Affairs for now but doesn’t come close to Burn Notice or Psych or even newer shows like White Collar and Royal Pains. Given enough time, I could see myself compromising my viewing schedule to fit this in for weekly viewing but for now take it or leave it. But as I’ve said before, this is only the pilot and I need to give it more than an hour to set the hook.

• KC Sunshine - Good Guys – officially cancelled.
  • http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/01/13/tv-scorecard-renewed-cancelled/
• Johnny Confidence – SG:U cancelled?
  • http://tv.ign.com/articles/114/1140558p1.html
• Dr. Chubb –  Alex Mack on Hawaii 5-0
  • http://www.tvline.com/2011/01/hawaii-five-0-adds-cast-member/
• Dr. Chubb – Bones spinoff makes first casting…
  • http://www.tvline.com/2011/01/exclusive-foxs-high-profile-bones-spinoff-lands-michael-clarke-duncan/#more-185427

• Best Television Series – Drama – Boardwalk Empire (2009)
  • Honorable mention: “The Walking Dead” (2010)
• Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy – “Glee” (2009)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy –    Jim Parsons for “The Big Bang Theory” (2007)
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy – Laura Linney for “The Big C” (2010)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama – Steve Buscemi for “Boardwalk Empire” (2009)
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama – Katey Sagal for “Sons of Anarchy” (2008)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – Chris Colfer for “Glee” (2009)
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – Jane Lynch for “Glee” (2009)
• Full List – http://www.imdb.com/features/globes/2011/nominations

• Chuck
• Harry’s Law
• How I Met Your Mother
• The Cape

Shoutouts!

• KC Sunshine -Parks and Recreation – must watch TV for 3rd season
• Johnny Confidence – Lights Out – Best NEW show of 2011?
• Dr. Chubb – Being Human, remake of BBC version.[End Transmission.]

After all these years on the beach, and trust me the beach seasons are always more fun, survivor is constantly trying to keep things fresh. Some ideas have worked out and stuck like the hidden immunity idol, and some have failed and go away like the old exile island. This season they plan on two different twists. First up is the return of Exile island only they are calling it “redemption island”. If you follow survivor news you have no doubt heard about this already but basically it’s a lot like Exile island only you have to battle others to stay there.

Redemption island works like this as far as we know. The first person voted out of the tribe will go there. They will be alone and waiting for the second person voted out. Those two people will then do some sort of head to head challenge and the winner gets to stay. We don’t know how long this will go on for, but at some point whoever is left standing on redemption island will join the game again for a second shot.

I find this concept really interesting, but I will be curious if it will pan out as a true game changer. The big problem is all the time you spend with your tribe is how you gain influence and votes for the finals. If you’re not there to scramble you will be at a big disadvantage. From this I expect the “redeemed” will return right before the first jury selection. The tough part is they won’t have any allies and the tribe will be made up of people who already voted them out once for one reason or another. I have a feeling whoever comes back will have to fight hard to not go right home again. Who knows though at that point there may be an underdog alliance who just needs that one more person to change the game. There are a lot of scenarios that could play out which would be very interesting.

The second change up is something that has happened before, but not very often. They are bringing two all stars back from retirement to compete again. Arguably these two guys could be the biggest draws survivor ever had. If you haven’t already heard the ones coming back are Boston Rob, and Russell Hantz. We just saw these guys go head to head on the same team during Survivor All stars and I’m hoping survivor 22 sets them up as team captains/mentors for the new players. If it’s Rob’s tribe vs. Russle’s tribe I think we might be in for a real treat.

I have no shame in saying I’m a huge Russel fan. Sure he’s a weasel and terrible human being while playing the game but no one, and I mean absolutely no one, has changed the game as much as this guy. He may be crazy, and her certainly splits peoples opinions, but I think he might bring some interesting flavor to the game. Both of these guys will be seen as huge threats and it will be a challenge to keep themselves in the game for long.

I’m not sure overall how I feel about the returning vets. Part of me wants to see them battle again, but the realist in me sees this as just a ratings grab. Russel’s seasons in particular were some of the best rated Survivor has ever had. They were easily the most exciting. In the past, barring the all star seasons, when vets returned they did not stick around for long. This may be a quick flash in the pan for both vets, but CBS is betting you’ll tune in to find out.

Overall I’m pretty excited for this season of Survivor. The young vs old “twist” of last year panned out exactly as I expected and it was boring. I’m hoping these new changes may truly bring some refreshing competition to the game and keep it interesting for one more year.

What are your thoughts on Season 22? If you could make changes to how the game is played what would they be? I would love to hear your feedback. Hope you enjoy the next season!

Show Notes!

Premieres
Southland (TNT) Jan. 4
V (ABC) Jan. 4
Wipeout (ABC) Jan. 6
Merlin (Syfy) Jan. 7
Cape (NBC) Jan. 9
Robot Chicken (CN) Jan. 9
Lights Out (FX) Jan. 11
Big Love (HBO) Jan. 16
Being Human (Syfy) Jan. 17
Parks and Recreation (NBC) Jan. 20
Royal Pains (USA) Jan. 20
Fairly Legal (USA0 Jan. 20

More after the jump…

Winter Schedules and the Mayhem they Wreak

Winter Schedule Map
Schedule change highlights
* Blue Bloods moves to Wednesdays for 4 weeks then back to Fridays

* Fringe to Fridays with Kitchen Nightmares lead in

* Bones to 9pm slot on Thursdays to make room for American Idol now on Wed/Thurs

* No Ordinary Family back to 8pm slot after Holiday programming bumped it to 9pm

* Raising Hope off until February when it will premiere before a new show “Traffic Light”

* Defenders moved from Wednesday slot now filled by Blue Bloods to Friday slot before Blue Bloods when it returns in February.

TV Show Recaps and reviews:
Burn Notice Episodes 16, 17, 18
Leverage Episodes 16,  17, 18

News Bites
JC – American Idol Season 10 changes
DC – Butts on TV Ok says NY Judge
KC – launch of TVline.com – Michael Ausellio and Matt Mitovitich’s new TV gossip website

Our top 5 shows of 2010
KC

• Party Down
• Raising Hope
• Good Guys
• Phineas and Ferb
• Mad Men

DC

• Chuck
• Castle
• Burn Notice
• House
• Futurama

JC

• Breaking Bad
• Fringe
• Stargate SG:U
• Sons of Anarchy
• Nikita

Shout outs:
JC – How I Met Your Mother – Twitter Explosion!
DC – Battlestar Galactica, the re-imagined, first season miniseries
KC – 16 and Pregnant – Don’t watch this show…unless you have time to have your life sucked away

With the launch of the new winter season 2011 comes the Launch of Don’t Adjust your set Season 3. Over the holiday break (Sorry we forgot to tell ya) we have been busy brainstorming away on new ideas and have come up with a new format I think everyone will really enjoy. We are also changing up or recording schedule. You can expect to hear from us on the First and Third Saturday of everyone month (we’ll be recording on Wednesday) and the shows may be a little bit longer. We’re changing up the content we discuss and bringing more informative reviews and recaps to the table. All in all we are very excited for the changes and look forward to another great season with everyone. Hope you will stay with us, or come check us out again if you haven’t listened in awhile. look for our first episode back January 8th! Happy New Year Everyone!

Pool Shows!
How I Met Your Mother (DC, JC)
No Ordinary Family (DC, JC)
Big Bang Theory (JC, DC)
Burn Notice (DC, JC Sorta )

The Rest!
Leverage Christmas Episode/Season Premiere – Back to Back episodes
Amazing Race Finale – First girl on girl team win

Premieres/Cancellations!
The Whole Truth – apparently was not officially canceled until this week
Terriers

TV on DVD releases!
December 14
24 Season 8
The Complete Series
IT Crowd, The The Complete 4th Season