Tranquility Pike

My latest TV update - We Really, Really Like Terriers

First, I want to say I'm not a TV addict. Sometimes I just need to unwind after spending a hard day in the cubicle writing in 3rd person. The final scene at the end of Terriers tonight was a tear-jerker for anyone with a heart ... pound that wall! People, you need to check out this show. Read the reviews and tune in.  

And one more thing ... Chuck flips to Sons of Anarchy every week, but I'm totally tired of this motorcycle gang soap opera. 

Here's the Terriers promo, below. Catch it on Wednesdays, 9 pm CT on fx. 

UPDATE: I changed the header of this piece when I realized some folks took it to mean that we didn't like Terriers. It's the best new show of the season! Original, well-written, dramatic and fun.

For those of us who hate folding, here's a step in the right direction

Ironing is enjoyable for some odd reason. Kind of a stress-busting exercise. With one of these robots, I could make quick work of the awful chore of folding, though. Found this cool video on Boing Boing.

Jay Leno is looking a little too smug

I feel dirty just posting this clip, but it's to make a point. What a conniving, smug little weasel that Jay Leno has turned out to be. Rather than a commercial that's actually funny, he and the great NBC minds instead chose to churn out this nose-thumbing ad. Oh wait, that's right. Jay Leno isn't actually funny, so what else could they do? 

Snuggie for Dogs

Remember the Snuggie blanket infomercial last winter? The one with people stuffed into large blanket-type garments with sleeves? Some brilliant marketing wizard has figured out a way to leverage this concept for the lucrative pet industry, with a Snuggie for Dogs! Even better, it comes with a talking dog tag you can attach to your pet's collar. Just record your message and it's ready to go. The message for our dog would say something like, "Hello, my name is Trey. Watch out or I may bite you." 

How They Made that Toyota Prius Commercial

Moody Blues, Fire and Water Make Me Want to Run Out and Buy a Debit Card

Hmmm. What is it about this commercial? It's captivating, so much so that I actually paid attention to its intent, which is to market the VISA debit card. Reminds me of high school, cruising around Lee's Summit and Lake Lotawana grooving to 8-tracks. Kind of psychedelic and the little girl is perfect for this piece. 

  

Jack Donaghy and Condoleeza Rice: Alec Baldwin's Lips are Sealed

Hunky/funny/snarky Alec Baldwin chatted with Washington Post readers this week. Read his take on a variety of topics here. 

What's All this Firefly Fuss?

Rory has been educating me about Firefly, a TV series (now off the air) about cowboys in space. It must be something if Rory is excited because he's pretty hard to impress. I do believe this is what I'll be watching this week.

Rehab for Chimps

Introduce a batch of baby chimpanzees to an already-established sanctuary setting in South Africa and what do you get? Mayhem and mischief, to be sure. Animal Planet's Escape to Chimp Eden is great TV, featuring a fascinating group of star characters. Each episode follows host Eugene Cussons on his quest to gather abused chimps living in deplorable conditions, rehab them at the Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden and get them back out into the wild where they belong.

Along the way, there's plenty of drama and insight into human behavior as we see the chimps jockeying for position in the pecking order, working through issues from years of abuse and generally figuring out who they are. Go Cozy! Fridays at 9 pm e/p.

Which Office Character are You?

Thanks to our friends at NBC, we can now take a quick 20-question quiz to determine which office character we most resemble.

Proud to be Pam.

New Amsterdam, a New Highlander?

We're tuning in and wondering whether this is a modernized version of that classic, Highlander. I sure hope so.

What? No Josiah?

Dumb, dumb move. It's just like when The Donald and his haughty daughter sent Gene Simmons packing on Celebrity Apprentice. Sure, take away the one good reason we have to watch. I haven't tuned in to Celebrity Apprentice since Gene's departure and I doubt that I'll give a darn about American Idol after tonight. Josiah Leming was the one reason to watch this season. Lives in his car. Writes his own material. Performs with a style all his own. I'm so tired of the grunting, posturing crooning that comes out of the mouths of the typical preening contestants who get through the rounds of judging. And someone like Josiah gets sent packing? You have got to be kidding. Hope someone in the industry recognizes the possibilities in this kid and gives him a chance at a career. With the track records of the former Idols, most of whom are now without contracts or thriving careers, Josiah may just be thanking his lucky stars that he is not tied to the Idol machine and free to pursue a better deal elsewhere. Go Josiah! You can do it! Here is his myspace page with music downloads.

Secrets of Deal or No Deal

Brain that he is, Chuck has been keeping an eye on case #4 on Deal or No Deal. While they say the $$ numbers are randomly placed in cases, he has noticed that #4 always, always has a very low amount in it. In fact, Chuck has been saying this all season long and he has been TOTALLY CORRECT! I don't know what this means, except that if I were a contestant, I would avoid picking #4 like the plague when selecting my own lucky case. In turn, I would always pick it when the situation got desperate. That being said, others are hard at work unlocking the secrets of the game and the psychology involved in playing it. Turns out, chimps don't like bartering either unless they are trading something they don't like. Whatever. Howie's great. Loved him as Dr. Wayne Fiscus on St. Elsewhere.

Clueless But Still Compelled to Watch

Here's what I have to read to try to understand Lost (thanks Daniel). And here is what the New York Times has to say. By the way, I hear that Fisher Stevens is joining the cast this season. Yes!

Star Trek: Get Ready for The Tour

Exciting news over at Wil Wheaton's blog involving Star Trek: The Tour.

Boldly going to 40 cities
Lasting 5 years
50,000 sq. ft. interactive exhibit area
Encounter Theater
Simulators, costumes and props

I know someone who will be there:

Write ON!

Writing is a big part of my workday and thus a big contributor to my paycheck. While I'm not exactly toiling over the next season of the supremely clever Dexter, I do appreciate getting a fair amount of $$ for my work.

Members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since last November as they seek more equitable compensation, which they absolutely deserve. Today's fallout from the strike includes the Golden Globes, reduced to an hour-long news conference which I think might be kind of interesting anyway. No witty banter, no red carpet, no glitzy gowns. How will they fill the time? By the way, if Michael C. Hall doesn't win a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor, I'll be beyond ticked.

American Gladiators: Knight Rider Ad?

What did I just see with my own two eyes? We're excited about Hellga and the gang on tonight's return of American Gladiators, seeing as how Jay and Rory were glued to the TV as kids when this show originally aired. But just now an advertisement appeared for Knight Rider.

What rock have I been under? There's a new Knight Rider made-for-TV movie coming next month?