5 Funny Scenes

Saw these recently:

Z Rock. "Season 1, Episode 9" There's a great scene where Dina (Lynne Koplitz) has an argument with her aunt (Joan Rivers) over money and stuff. Thing is: Rivers is doing her QVC show at the time, the phone call is live on air and Rivers keeps trying to interest her niece in buying a watch.

Supernatural. Season 4, Episode 8. "Wishful Thinking" The boys find a town where wishes come true and when a mysterious creature steals booze and porn mags from a corner store they follow the trail... to a little girl in a suburban house (!) who wished that her teddy bear was real.

Well the teddy bear is real, alright. Real, belligerent and depressed.

The scene is funny because... hey! it's a big angry teddy bear watching CNN, and because the reactions of Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are priceless.

Arrested Development. Episode 2. "Top Banana" Mid-way through this episode we get a quick scene, from CCTV footage, of Gob - the magician in the family - buying a dove for his act.

The store owner asks Gob if he wants a box and Gob arrogantly refuses. Declaring, as he is wont to do, that he is 'a magician'.

He then walks triumphantly to the door... bumps up against it and kills the poor dove in his pocket.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 13. "Outside The Box" The pre-titles sequence finds Hank trying out a new 'joke' on Brent and Wanda. Basically this involves saying 'that's what she said!' after the others speak. After this has happened a few times, Brent and Hank have a quick Q&A with regard to double entendres and the correct use of that particular catchphrase.

At which point Davis, who had been filling his car with gas outside, pops his head in the door to complain to Brent that there's a problem because Brent's nozzle is way too big and won't come out.

Cut to Hank: Standing in oblivious wonder.

Long silence.

NewsRadio. Season 3, Episode 8. "Movie Star" James Caan visits and Matthew (Andy Dick) turns into a nervous wreck because he idolises Caan and because Caan can be very intimidating.

There are many wonderful moments, made really, really funny because of Caan's reactions, but the highlight - for me - comes when Matthew asks for an autograph then loses the pen inside his own clothing and proceeds to do a wriggly dance to get the pen to fall back out.

Best of this bunch? Supernatural (a real teddy bear)

The Nick C Blog

Well, it's starting to look like Reaper is gonna stay cancelled. But at least I found The Nick C Blog.

Every other year at this time (as far back as Dark Skies) I've been part of some campaign or other to save some show I loved. When I say "been part of some campaign" I mean I fired off some e-mails and stuff like that, I've never actually chained myself to a network executive's Mercedes or anything in that vein (though for 24 or Friday Night Lights I probably would).

Because of my interest in saving Reaper I found The Nick C Blog which is proving to be very interesting reading. It's only new, but it has some reviews on the new Fall shows. I always like to read that kind of stuff (the kind of stuff you find year after year on The Futon Critic).

So that's something, at least.

Fred Astaire on Battlestar Galactica

So great to read an enthusiastic review of an episode from the original Battlestar Galactica. Click here.

Two of my favourite sci-fi shows from the '70s tend to get a hard time from critics and various books on the subject. If they don't attack Battlestar Galactica, then they have a go at Space:1999.

And I shake my head in confusion. And, no matter what I am reading, I tend to think a little less of the writer. These shows are two of the best examples of the genre, and they were both way ahead of their time. So, if you can't step outside your own preconceived notions and genuinely evaluate something on it's own merits, how am I supposed to respect what you have to say about everything else?

So... great to read an enthusiastic review from someone I do respect. Yay!

Television Zombies

While looking for something else during the week I found this podcast/blog called Television Zombies.

Before I got too excited I checked it out by listening to episode 80. I figure that if they are good/clever enough to 'get' the brilliance of The Sarah Connor Chronicles, then this is a show I should be listening to.

I loved their review.

Yay!

A new podcast for me to listen to.

Reaper's Cancellation/Return

Reaper has been cancelled, but the chances of it returning in syndication look very good.

Click here to find out more. Or here. Help if you can. Please!

The latest news, I'm told, is to be found on The Nick C Blog.

Reaper's a cool show. It's funny, wildly inventive, has great characters and great stories and absolutely never delivers a weak episode. Pretty darn rare. So help save it, if you can.

Ken Levine's Blog

Ken Levine reached a milestone this week. A well-deserved one: his is a great blog.

He raises a good point. It's almost impossible to know how many people are visiting a blog. Some stats are available, yes, but there are ways of reading without actually visiting the page and - at the present time - there's no way to guage stats on those readers.

Readers as a rule (and I'm very much included in this) don't bother to post comments or respond very much.

So blogging/podcasting is a bit like peforming in a theatre during a blackout. You know there are people out there, but how many...?

That's anyone's guess.