A while ago, I wrote an article speculating on why vampire stories had died out. In general we find vampires perennially interesting; they combine the best of horror and sensuality, appealing to all of our prurient 
interests. At the time, Stephanie Myers’ “Twilight” series hadn’t reached its current fever-pitch and HBO’s “True Blood” was but a distant whisper of a rumor. Now, vampires are back in full force.
It’s a captivating legend that can be twisted any way you like it. Immortality, drinking blood, fangs, promiscuity, fear of garlic, fear of religious symbols, death by stake - you can take what you like, leave the rest behind, and spin your own tale. Author Charlaine Harris did exactly that in her Southern Vampire Mysteries, catching the attention of Six Feed Under creator Alan Ball. The first novel, Dead Until Dark, became the nearly-complete first season of the new HBO series “True Blood.”
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Robot Chicken knows where their bread is buttered. Their half-hour Star Wars special was hugely popular with fans and drew in new viewership by the bucketload; what had started as a cult show became more of a pop-culture fixture. So naturally, they decided to do it again.
Robot Chicken Star Wars: Episode II debuted last Sunday on Cartoon Network’s [adult swim]. As expected, they focused more heavily on their already-popular characterization of Emperor Palpatine, who is constantly fielding phone calls from his lackeys and lashing out sarcastically at everyone - except his hairdresser, of course. You don’t want to make that guy angry.
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Well, that’s it, folks–another season of South Park is in the can and I’ve been following it all the way from Indy Jones getting repeatedly banged up the ass to this very moment.
And Matt and Trey went out with a…well…subdued bang as they went back to South Park Elementary and targeted the vampire craze that my colleague Liz just discussed recently and of course the upcoming release of the film / book series / collectible merchandise machine Twilight.
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Pretty soon, there is going to come a day where you no longer have to get out of the house.
In a sense, this is awesome…but in another equally real sense, this is scary. But mostly awesome. See, TiVo is currently working with Domino’s Pizza to make it possible to order a pizza ON YOUR TIVO. Read more…
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Yep, you read me right. USA has signed Monk on for its eighth and final season next summer, during which - finally - we’ll learn who killed Trudy.
I have to be honest: I stopped watching Monk when Sharona left. This might seem silly now that Natalie’s run has surpassed Sharona’s in length, but I don’t think I will ever get over the loss of the sassy New Jersey nurse. She was perfect for Monk, and I’m not implying that they should have hooked up, although I would have been totally into that.
Sharona’s departure was abrupt; actress Bitty Schram demanded more money than the show thought she was worth, which turned into a massive contract dispute that led to her replacement. Though I came in with an open mind, I was never able to get used to Natalie. At least she wasn’t a Sharona clone, I guess. But I wanted her so badly to be funny or interesting. Nothing doing.
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Okay, I’m really, REALLY happy about this, especially since I was so spectacularly fond of the show Dead Like Me back when it was on Showtime, which as you know is the home of stuff like Dexter now. You can generally count on premium cable to put out good TV because they don’t have to kiss the FCC’s egomaniacal ass.
And as a result, we’ve got a sweet new piece of Dead Like Me that we can all enjoy. Read more…
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The opening scene of this week’s “True Blood” made me go like this: o_0
I guess that big-lipped vampiress who’s always hanging around Eric was never that great of an actress, but her inability to deliver a line seems to rub off on Bill as she helps him bury the girl he started to “make” in 
the previous episode. (I vastly prefer the term “sire,” but that’s Buffyverse, not Sookieverse.) The whole scene is just awful. It does, however, demonstrate that in order for the transformation to take place, the maker must lie in a grave with the make-ee overnight. When Jessica rises, though, she’s an irritating and immature girl. While initially pleased that she’ll be free from her oppressive parents, she soon begins acting out on Bill.
Meanwhile, Sookie and Sam are dealing with the aftermath of her bone-chilling encounter with the killer. Although she was able to pick up some feelings and images from his presence, Sookie was not able to identify him. (OR HER.) During a heartfelt conversation, Sookie reveals that she doesn’t believe Bill is coming back. When she is finally able to get a clearer image in her head of one of the killer’s victims, she and Sam decide to take a trip down to a diner where the girl worked. They find a good lead, but when the local sherriff is uncooperative, Sookie has to use a dose of her special powers to get his help. The adventure brings them closer together - a little too close for Bill, who suddenly returns, only to catch them in an intimate moment. Furious at his violent reaction, Sookie rescinds her invitation and Bill is forced out of her home.
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On this week’s “Dexter,” Rita is quickly finding out that mixing pregnancy hormones with wedding planning is a true recipe for insanity. She is running into the dilemma that most brides face: can’t do it alone, won’t trust anyone else to do it. She has entrusted Dexter with one simple task - buying the wedding bands. And 
he’s not doing it fast enough for her tastes. Boy, have I been there. She also insists that she doesn’t want an engagement ring, but Deb soon sets Dexter straight on that one. Rita is touched by the rings that Dexter brings home - phew, crisis averted.
Meantime, Dexter is busy teaching the Code to Miguel. Despite recurring visions of Harry warning him to keep his secrets safe, Dexter is so happy to have a friend and ally that he lets Miguel in on his latest kill. They pick a man scouted out by Miguel, a gambler who kills to appease his bookie. The two make some trips to the casino where their victim spends most of his free time. Miguel is no professional - when Dexter tells him to dress inconspiciously, he shows up looking like “the unabomber,” in Dexter’s estimation. But he soon realizes the need for the dark sunglasses when someone recognizes Miguel. Dexter decides to call off the kill, but when Miguel tells him a family sob story, Dexter agrees to go through with it after all. Miguel enjoys it. Maybe a little too much. The last time we see Miguel in the episode, he’s paying a visit to the dirty D.A. he was trying to convince Dexter to kill last time around.
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We had a wind storm while “Family Guy” was airing, which throws a bit of a wrench into the whole DirecTV system. I wouldn’t be so annoyed by this if we hadn’t been forced to pay a $50 installation fee to a company that was not DirecTV, but had already installed a dish in our building that was supposed to be extra-special-
weatherproofed for upstate New York’s unique needs. They lied.
Anyway, it’s hard for me to assess the overall quality of the episode because it kept skipping. (Comically, the commercials all came through loud and clear.) But I will say this: it had a pretty good premise, and the B-plot revolving around Brian and Frank Sinatra Jr. is not nearly as annoying as you might anticipate.
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When a show runs for more than a few seasons, you can count on some characters getting killed off. It’s oftentimes the cleanest way for an actor to move on, and prevents awkward scenarios where the character must be suddenly replaced by another, inferior actor.
One of T.V.’s longest-running dramas, E.R., killed off its main character Dr. Mark Greene because actor 
Anthony Edwards wanted to move on. However, that wasn’t the last we saw of him. Flashbacks are a favorite device of television writers; they allow old favorites to come back without twisting the laws of space, time, and science. And since this year marks E.R.’s final season, it was time to bring back Dr. Greene for one last hurrah.
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