Idle Analytics» TV

"House" reigns for one night

Reuben — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:07:08 +0000

From the opening notes of one of my favorite songs (eh, maybe my favorite song, period) to the closing shot of House calmly boarding a bus by himself, the House premiere was anything but the usual episodic fare. Instead, it was almost a feature-length film based on a character in a popular TV show, but …

I think my TV habits show my age

Reuben — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

The fact that I've been feeling a general stunted mid-mid-life malaise is not helped by the fact that I now actually watch two CBS sitcoms, and truly find them funny. The Big Bang Theory somehow manages, despite all apparent signs, not to suck. The opening sequence is pretty great (the universe was in "a hot …

Stossel does it again (food irradiation)

Reuben — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:03:22 +0000

Caught the John Stossel special last night. Although his segments about tiger farming and about letting risk-taking mountain climbers pay for their rescues were a little silly, the segments about food irradiation, old people perpetrating a Ponzi scheme through Medicare, and letting people use steroids if they want to were dead on. Especially on food …

Oh good, we decided to make Idol boring again

Reuben — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:29:01 +0000

The problem with absolutism is that eventually you have a tyrant, and he ruins all the fun. Simon Cowell may know what works in the music business these days, but he is making sure that the actual show from which his success actually comes is a boring, interminable rehash. Cowell, whom apparently people listen to, …

Danny Gokey's dead wife is a sickening prop

Reuben — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:53:32 +0000

Listen, the guy can sing, but Danny Gokey is really disgusting. Every interview he does he constantly mentions his late wife. What is the subtext of his singing "Hero"? He is a hero for having lived through his wife dying? For soldiering on and making a ton of dough because of his wife dying? Genuine …

Dawkins' TV Show

Reuben — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:03:56 +0000

Highly recommended is Richard Dawkins' documentary on Channel4 called "Enemies of Reason", which is available on Google Video Part 1 Part 2 Dawkins, I would say, practices a bit more patience than I am used to seeing him display. Additionally, the camera work is rather striking for a documentary produced for television. I wonder if …

The Wire is still the best show on TV

Reuben — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 02:29:28 +0000

Heads up, people. The finest show being made right now just opened up its fourth season. If you're behind, get thee to Netflix and set your Tivo. The Wire has consistently provided a difficult, nuanced, extremely rewarding portrayal of the life of Baltimore cops and criminals. David Simon tops his already wonderful work on Homicide: …

Prison Break is the dumbest show I watch religiously

Reuben — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 03:04:03 +0000

I don't like prison shows. No matter how many people told me that Oz was great, there was no way I was going to sit in for the unending misery of Nazi cliques and regular rape. Sorry. Also, frankly I'm a bit tired of conspiracy shows. I couldn't stand the X-Files or Alias. There have …