The Power of One....Remote

Well all this complaining on the internet has finally paid off!  Someone out there has read it and said "let's get this guy working for us and the for the people".  I have just received my Television Diary from the good people at BBM.   For those of you who don't know, BBM tabulates television rating for Canada.  They obviously saw what I did here and thought this is a guy who is capable of turning the TV off when there is nothing on and can then turn it right back on when he thinks there is something worth while on TV.  My TV selections will count for literally thousands of households.  

With great power comes great responsibility and tough decisions.  As your voice, I promise to avert my eyes from shows that should not be on TV.  In particular: any show in which the main character converses with ghosts to solve crimes, CSI New York and Las Vegas, Two and A Half Men, shows involving Howie Mandel/the jonas brothers/Donald Trump/the works of Jane Austen/Medicine women/poker and shows that have a panel of judges. 

I know what you're thinking.  It will be a tough 7 days.  I will have to be always mindful of what I am watching and what else is on.  I would hate to be ironically enjoying a CSI Miami while there is a classic Seinfeld episode on somewhere else.  I also have to make sure I catch all the good shows that need my ratings.  

But I think I am uniquely prepared for such a task.  The weekdays should be fairly easy but the weekend is going to be really tough because you really never know what you are going to find. I know what your thinking now and no,  I am not doing this for free!  They sent me a crisp 5 dollar bill with my diary!  I mean sure it'll end up working out to about $0.05/hour but I am happy to do it.  Don't forget, I'm not doing it for myself or for the good people at BBM, I'm doing it for you, the TV watching public.  I'm looking out for your best interests

Top TV of '08

My Favorite TV of 2008 in no particular order and not necessarily from 2008

New to me category (meaning I just watched every episode sometime this year even though it has been around for at least 2 years):

The Wire (HBO)

I try to tell everyone I meet to watch this gritty Cop/Drug dealer Dramedy.  I watched all five seasons in the matter of 3 months I think (I would have finished it quicker but I had to wait for season 5 to come out on DVD).  It was, by far, the greatest ensemble cast I have ever seen.  A lot of unknown actors and a lot of great writing.  It details the drug trade in the projects

 of Baltimore. It takes a frank look at the dealers, the cops and the users.  You find yourself somehow cheering for all interested parties.  You simultaneuosly want the users to get clean the cops to catch the dealers and the dealers to keep dealing and getting away with it.  Each season takes on a different facet of the problem of American inner cities.  From education to politics to the press to legalization of narcotics.  Every time I see an actor from the Wire on a different show I cringe because it makes the whole thing feel less authentic.  I don't know what else to say about this show...absolutely amazing.  The writers create a whole city of characters in all walks of life.

WATCH IT!

Mad Men (AMC)

I begrudgingly give this show its propers because I railed against its endless ads on

 AMC interrupting The Godfather Trilogy.  It takes place in Madison Avenue advertising agency in the early 60's.  Its a strange show because every time I watch it I wish they would just get to making the ads...this is strange because I originally hated the show because of the ads now all i want to see in the show is the ads they produce.  The style of the time represented in the show is something worth noticing and watching for.  Its also fun hearing them addressing issues like Feminism, Race Relations, Smoking and why Kennedy will never be president because he doesn't wear a hat.  Again there are a lot of good characters in here including the mysterious main character Don Draper. But there are some absolutely hate-able characters.  Pete Campbell, for one, is a character i want to punch every time he is on screen.  Mrs. Draper is a confusing character....I want to hate her but she is continually lied to...she is a victim but she is also incredibly immature...it might be a case of bad acting but I can't tell the difference.  There is a lot of drama and mystery in this show.  It is not just ad pitches and beehives.

Old to Me and hopefully to you:

30 Rock (NBC)

It finally got the praise it deserved this year.  This show has 3-5 great, hilarious charcters.  Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan each get to deliver amazing lines that are so good and so quick that you have to rewind and watch again to make sure they said what you thought they said.  Tina Fey is one of the funniest women ever!  she is like 10x Roseanne Bar (not in size but in comedic talent).

The Office (NBC)

Still love the UK version more but this American caricature just keeps on going.  The Jim and Pam story line has gone a little too "Ross and Rachel" for my taste but Dwight, Andy and Michael keep me coming back week after week.

Kenny Vs. Spenny (Showcase)

2 best friends compete week after week in silly, childish competitions that you wish you had the time to undertake.  Some of the best include: first to laugh loses, who can gain the most weight, who can stay nude the longest, first guy to get a stain loses, who do gay guys like the most and it goes on and on and on.  Spenny thinks every competition is a chance to learn more about the world and educate the viewers about "important issues" while Kenny sees every competition as an opportunity to cheat and mess with Spenny's fragile grasp on sanity.  This show is not for the faint of heart.  every episode has at least one gross out moment that should not be allowed on TV.  Luckily for you they make every episode available on Youtube...If you are not my mother and don't mind some "toilet" humor start here at their absolute tamest...it just gets funnier from here.

anyway those are my favorite shows I have been watching for the past year.  I hope you watch just one...maybe two.  if you already watch all of these shows we should like hang out or something.

It's Science

As a scientist I am compelled to undertake experiments not for myself but for the greater good of humanity.  A few months ago, right here on this blog, I swore off TV as a waste of time (except for the exceptions).  I took it upon myself as an experiment in the human condition and I learned a lot about myself and the world at large.  For instance, did you know that in 1974, the Cleveland Indians hosted a "Dime Beer Night"  where they sold beer to the fans in Municipal Stadium for $0.10 each.  Unfortunately for the Cleveland Indians they had to forfeit the game because of "unruly" fans (please click the link and read more!).  Who could have seen that coming? In my time without TV I have blogged (NOTE:  linking to your own Blog?  doesn't get much worse than that!), I have read a book, I have read several issues of TIME magazine (not really worth it.  they always seems to be at least 1 week behind the real news), I have explored the world of pet ownership, I have attempted to work out a sabermetrics for my iTunes stats, I have gone car shopping, I have toyed with stop-motion movies (200 views...on the verge of Viral!) and I have taken far too many pictures of Downtown Charlottetown.  It truly has been a rich experience and I feel much better because of it.

But there comes a time in every experiment when you have to compare your results with another set of data.  That time begins NOW (or sometime between 9 am and 1pm)

For some reason the good people at Eastlink Cable have decided I am ready for a paradigm shift.  I'm not sure if they read my blog or if they noticed I wasn't using my cable as much as I used to or maybe I am just a valued customer but they got the message.  Today the "Cable Guy" hooked me up with EVERY channel of digital cable they have!  Now the offer only lasts for two months so I have to maximize my time with it to get proper data.  

Sometime in February, when HBO and TMN and The NHL network and NBC Seattle and Court TV and Much VIBE and BBC Kids fade to black, I will emerge from my cocoon.  Physically, I will be a pale shadow of my former self but mentally, I hypothesize that I will be so thoroughly entertained that I will never have to read a book EVER AGAIN (I will be also getting the Book Channel so I've got that covered)!  Remember, I am not doing it for myself,  I am doing it for you!

"Unfortunately", Christmas is upon us and I will be leaving Charlottetown for 2 weeks and there might be some holes in my data.  I will be in Toronto from Dec 20th - Dec 29th then I'll be heading out to Vancouver for New Years...and then back to Charlottetown.  I hope I get to see all of my readers on my whirlwind tour (this is likely seeing as at least 2/3 of my readers are my mom...Hi Mom! I can say 2/3 because she reads it once and then she calls me and we read it together so she can correct my spelling and grammar and I can explain to her why I think what I wrote was funny.  If my other reader needs an explanation on why I think what I write is funny please let me know!)

Stay tuned here...I have a few other blog worthy topics that I might get out soon.  Also i think  I will trickle out some "Favorite of '08" stuff.