Top 10 House, MD Tweeters to Follow

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Twitter is nothing new. Television shows having twitter feeds is also common. However, what is perhaps most interesting is the idea of tweeters taking on the role of major characters. They tweet out favorite lines, upcoming spoilers, episode recaps, cast trivia, and all sorts of other information. Some shows have more "impostors" than others, and some even have legitimate tweeters. Dr. House, from the Monday night show on Fox, is one of the many characters which show up all over Twitter. Not just in English, either. There seems to be a large Spanish-speaking House contingency, along with Polish, German, and probably some other languages represented as well.

Today's Top Ten list features some of the best (English) Dr. House tweeters. If you're into Twitter (and really, who isn't at this point?), go out and take a look at some of these folks. (MANY of them claim to be official, but obviously they can't all be, LoL.)

10. @HOUSEonFOX is very television-promotional... and very new.
9. @HouseMDsite is run by a foreigner (check the website it links to), and points out a lot of websites across the net that may be of interest to House fans.
8. @House_Fan apparently just became aware that a new season is going on, since they've only made one update since last spring. and a lot of the previous tweets are generalized stuff, but there's a few decent things on there.
7. @DrHouse somehow has 23k followers after making just 165 total tweets. There are a few good one-liners, but most of the tweets are replies to others, sometimes talking about very unrelated stuff.
6. @Gregory_House is the start of those really worth following. not only are there realistic jokes and character-strong references, but it also interacts well with other tweeters from the show.
5. @House_isms is kinda random, not gonna lie. But at the same time, it's also fairly amusing, with quotes from over time.
4. @Huge_Ego_Sorry has some pretty funny tweets. it's updated on a fairly regular basis. some of the comments are randomly witty as opposed to in-character witty, though.
3. @GregMDHouse is kinda funny, and spends a good deal of time dealing specifically with the medical side of his character
2. @TheRealHouseMD is young, just over a month old. but with only 12 of 34 tweets replies, it's pretty good. It also retweets good comments made by House fans, and actually makes good use of the "bio" section.
1. @Greg_House_MD has a nice balance of replies, medical jargon, and quotes from the one and only House.

am I missing any that you like? have you already been following any of these for a good while now?

And It's FALL!!!!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: The opening was pretty interesting (and dramatic). Why did the critic assume Natalie was a "miss" when he knew she had a daughter? I still don't understand why Monk wrote Natalie a bad check to start out with. I rather enjoyed the scene with Mr. Monk and the bathroom attendant brushing each other off, hehe. poor attendant, he got hit SO HARD with that club. :( now, back to the case... SUCH a SMART thought process! Having Natalie's daughter make up a story, then the killer completely not recognize her when she's wearing THE EXACT SAME outfit she was in the show was GENIUS! Not only did that prove he wasn't there, but it proved that he faked the review. so smart! where did Natalie's daughter come from, anyway? I have never seen nor heard about her before... and Natalie has been on the show for YEARS. Sharona's son was prominent from day 1, why not Natalie's daughter??

Sunday:
The Simpsons: September 27th

Family Guy: September 27th

American Dad: September 27th

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: "Lily, use your indoor woo!" I could totally see my life in the Lily-and-Marshall-in-bed-eating-ice-cream thing, haha. and there's an upcoming whipping, it's almost as exciting as slapsgiving! loved the scene where Barney was searching for Ted's condoms. I really hope that the hinted-at upcoming book has to do with Barney's rules for professors. The look on Barney's face when Robin was talking to the Brad the hockey guy was so good. I love that Ted looked into the audience to try and spell "professor" hahahahaha. oh my lord, Ted was in the wrong classroom... holy mackerel. I was so laughing throughout the entire episode, and it was extra noticeable since I was watching it in silence with headphones on, LoL. and the last four minutes or so were just comic genius (save that last 40 seconds...).

Lincoln Heights: "Eddie, you cooking is not a gift." Poor Lizzie, there's no way those "clones" are into her... they just want to blackmail Sage. NateRay is a real d!ck toward Tay. Charles just up and left? Are you kidding me? I don't like how easily Lizzie is swayed by others, the text thing drove me nuts. and what a horrible, despicable thing to do! I felt for that girl like crazy. :( Charles is also looking a little too pretty these days... he used to be cute, but now it's more of a feminine look. I also hate how Charles had to make Sage a part of the picture AGAIN. Poor Tay, everything going wrong at his birthday dinner. :( I don't know why Cassie told Tay and Lizzie about letting Mac die. I loooooved the lipcolor that the outcast girl had on when she was in the bleachers. I was also surprised how easily she opened up to Lizzie, and I was crazed to hear the word "sexted" on television... I had only even heard it for the first time recently. I guess I'm out of the teen slang loop these days, LoL. Why in the world is the "Community Cares Club" so popular??!? And why would Charles show Sage the $$??

House, M.D.: not gonna lie, this episode was pretty good. good character development for a lot of people, considering that we will never see them again and they only had two hours to work with. There were also some great lines, and House himself was pretty moving. It was strange to only see Wilson as opposed to anyone else in the regular cast, but it did okay. I didn't take notes since I was watching with a group kinda unexpectedly, but I'm very curious as to what exactly counts as being well enough to leave. House himself asked twice, and never really received a cut-and-dried answer. I was a bit taken aback by the character of the guy in charge... I imagine that we may see him again, perhaps there will be some co-op ventures in diagnostics? or something. Lastly, I could see this episode nominated for an award. yeah.

Lie to Me: next week

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: Kate used to stop by Henry the Grocer once or twice a DAY?!? what?!? "life was simpler [when we struggled to make ends meet]." It must actually be kinda neat to know Kate without the media influences, LoL. Cara and Mady were really at each other's throats this time! I was kinda surprised that the "Cara foot" storyline was in the episode... it didn't really serve a purpose other than making it clear that custody is shared in a very strict way.

Big Bang Theory: my first attempt at this show. The theme song is catchy. "In the world of emoticons I was colon Capital D." hahaha. The changes from scene to scene were very 3rd Rock. but too fast. anyway, the storyline itself wasn't very interesting and that's good. Now I won't have to include it in my weekly routine after all. Luckily, even Johnny Galecki didn't entice me this time, and the on-again, off-again show of Sara Gilbert ain't gonna cut it for me... I hated when they did that to her character on ER.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: missed. it. add "Duggar on a Diet" to the list of missing... "Duggars in Dixie" and "Duggars and Bates Reloaded"

Table for 12 (apparently this is on): I missed both episodes since there were no commercials ahead of time, LoL.

Wednesday:
Glee: I love lying to your parents and all the drama that goes along with keeping up the ruse. I don't know how we are supposed to believe that three months have passed since Will and wife found out they were pregnant... Once again, I love Will's outfits. The caning thing was scary. Western Ohio, eh? Interesting setting... definitely unique. Rachel and her selfish self sucks. but I did like how Mercedes broke the fight by being upset that her part is a "jet" haha. Why are FInn and Kurt pretending to be friends? This is so fake. "In charge of hydration services" = waterboy, haha. I hope mohawk boy comes out of the closet... I'm intrigued to see if they're trying to foreshadow that or not. Sue's racism is getting to me. Is this school making "show choir" and "glee club" the same thing? It sure seems this way, even from the parental perspective. The flight attendant video shouldn't have been a big deal... it's not like that's a despicable job or anything. I also hate how the teachers are freaking fighting over the students... seriously?!? oh... I guess mohawk isn't gay... and I can't believe Quinn slept with him!! During the football game tho, I lost all respect for this show. I need realism. Fantasy bullcrap doesn't fly with me. I dunno, I may give this show up. Next week is Kristin Chenoweth's episode, so I'll give that a final try.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Off season:
16 and Pregnant
Wipeout
South Park (October 7th)
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Cake Boss
Little People, Big World (October 19th)
The Goode Family (waiting to be picked up again)

Top 10 TV Sluts

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

10. Ally McBeal (Ally McBeal). the dancing babies really should be an obvious notion that Ally is always trying to find a relationship. With her biological clock ticking, Ally tries hard to find a soul mate... encountering many sexual relationships along the way. Notable men in her life: Billy, Greg, Brian, Larry.







9. Grace Adler (Will & Grace). Aside from having the constant fear that yet another boyfriend will "turn gay," Grace is out on the prowl regularly. She meets men in the most random places, and really wants to find someone solid in her life... but at the same time demanding a lifestyle of fun. Notable men in her life: Danny, Will, Josh, Leo, Nathan






8. Lois Griffin (Family Guy). Many of her conquests remain a mystery, yet she seems proud of her promiscuous past. The typical rebel of an upper-class family, teenage Lois did an assortment of drugs, drank, and yet was crowned Miss Rhode Island. She makes vague references of forced miscarriages, and has stated a past tried-curiosity with lesbianism. Notable men in her life: Peter, Bill Clinton, Glenn Quagmire.






7. Kelly Taylor (Beverly Hills, 90210). While she tried hard to change her image for a while, Kelly never really stopped having the "easy" reputation that many sluts end up with. She's been raped and date-raped, has had many one-time-only dates, but a lot of long-term men as well. Interestingly, her on-again, off-again relationships are probably what she is best known for. Notable men in her life: Dylan, Jake, Brandon, Steve, Colin, Matt.

6. Hilda Spellman (Sabrina, The Teenage Witch). While she has the advantage of having hundreds of years to have spent with different men, we often only hear about the last century or so. She was quite the partier before raising Sabrina, as it is revealed that the second floor of the house was a disco, she spent many late nights on the town, and many weekends in Tuscany. Notable men in her life: Drell, Will, Willard (Mr. Kraft).






5. Rachel Green (Friends). We know that she was popular in high school and college, having many boyfriends (particularly before the rumor about her being a hermaphrodite began circulating), sometimes several at once. She is a constant flirt throughout the show, hardly changing even after the birth of her daughter. The reason she's not higher on this list is probably because the role of promiscuity seems natural for her. Notable men in her life: Barry, Ross, Paolo, Joey, Mark, Josh, Danny, Tag, Paul, Gavin.

4. Adrian Lee (The Secret Life of the American Teenager). At only seventeen years old, this character already has quite the following. She is known as "the school slut" even though we only know of two lovers who go to that school. Obviously there were more before Ricky. Adrian flaunts herself, and derives a great deal of pleasure from being considered sexy. Notable men in her life: Ricky, Max, Jack, Antonio.






3. Nina Van Horn (Just Shoot Me). We never find out her exact age, or her exact number of partners, for that matter. But we know it is high, and that she doesn't remember a lot of them, particularly due to the number of drugs she uses. But she's not shy about it, and makes sure that her body isn't "going downhill" as she ages, showing it off to anyone who will look, really. Notable men in her life: well, most didn't have names or stick around long enough, LoL. There was Robert, he counts.

2. Manny Santos (Degrassi: The Next Generation). While her character is currently in college, Manny started her promiscuity incredibly young, and that's how she got to near the top of this list... her numbers are quite high. She was not yet in high school when she began dressing sexy, and by the time she reached grade 9, she was already in the principal's office for wearing noticeable thongs and midriff-bearing shirts, among other things. After her abortion of Craig's baby, it becomes hard to follow exactly whom Manny is after from time to time. Notable men in her life: Jay, Craig, Sully, JT, Spinner, Damian, Mick, Kelly.

1. Samantha Jones (Sex and the City). well, let's begin with the fact that she defines herself as "try-sexual," as in she'll try anything sexual once. We know of two abortions. We know of countless (really) one-night stands. She even had a serious relationship with a woman (Maria). Notable men in her life: Richard, Smith, James. seriously, there are too many to count.

The 61st Annual Emmy Awards

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Considering that this is a television blog, it only makes sense that I cover the Emmys. :)

I'd like to open by reminding the crowd that I adore Neil Patrick Harris (he's come up in at least three of my previous entries). Not only was his opening number spectacular, but his humor throughout the evening was witty and appropriate.

The early joke about how Kanye better like 30 Rock was pretty funny.

I was pulling for Kristin Chenoweth for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy, even though nobody else seemed to be. She won, and was very surprised by it. Her dress was very busy, and I loved her commentary on how Pushing Daisies is no longer on the air, and name-dropping a few of the shows she'd love to be on, hehe. The glasses touch by all of the nominees in that category was also cute.

As much as I wanted NPH to win Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy, I understand that Jon Cryer has been nominated four times, so okay.

I couldn't stand the dress that Toni Collette (Best Actress in a Comedy - The United States of Tara) was wearing... she looked like a red bird, LoL. Let's also not forget that half of America has never even heard of that show, let alone actually seen it.

The Dancing with the Stars number was kinda neat, although I made no comments aloud during it, so that says something.

"Movies and Miniseries" is always an interesting category for me, and I always think that so many great things come out of that medium. But when did it get SO BIG?? I feel that this category took up an unjustified proportion of time. The Drew Barrymore/Jessica Lange moment was cute. I need to chorus what was all over Twitter... Dearbhla Walsh had the worst dress of the evening. It didn't fit. It looked bad. Some spanx, or even just a bra, would have helped. She was struggling in those heels as well. Poor girl. When Grey Gardens won, I was just thrown with "wow" at the speech... so moving. I'm actually kinda glad he got to use it here instead of in the actual film.

I quite enjoyed the "original music and lyrics" field in the variety section... there were several great options... and I am SO excited about the actual winner. Props to Hugh Jackman (and, well, the writers, haha).

I had forgotten how many fabulous people had passed away in the last year... rough year in popular culture, folks.

ER walked away with one final Emmy. Congratulations Rod Holcomb. Too bad you couldn't be there, I'm sure he would've said something great. I did laugh at your pre-taped comment about how, when having trouble with someone on-set, tell them to go to hell in such a way that they want to be there.

Nice look Glenn Close! "Category sisters," nice.

Well, when the cast of The Big Bang Theory came up to give an award, I realized that Johnny Galecki was on that show. I kinda really like him, and I've already stated a few times that it's been recommended to me on more than one occasion. So, I guess that's that. I'm going to have to find a way to incorporate yet another Monday night show into my schedule... I really need a tivo!!

I thought that Hayden Panettiere was looking particularly nice, between her dress, makeup, and hair. I never saw her shoes.

WHY WERE THERE SO MANY EMPTY SEATS?!?? I thought they had seat-fillers for this... or is that only the Tony Awards? or is it only on Seinfeld, LoL?

I'd like to end by noting that I have still never seen 30 Rock. And I've been trying hard to keep it that way. 22 nominations (writing was a killer, especially!), but I have no desire. Which is intriguing, since I am really do not plan on seeing it, yet it keeps coming up with reasons for me...

Last thoughts: I couldn't believe how poorly the Entertainment Weekly guys did with predictions! Seriously, I follow their sheet as I think things through myself! Michael Ausiello went 4 for 11, Lynette Rice went 2 for 11, and Ken Tucker went 3 for 11. I should note that all three of them correctly predicted the categories of "Best Comedy Series" and "Best Drama Series" so they actually got very few correct when it comes to actors, actresses, etc.

woo-hoo, fall is almost here!!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: I didn't particularly care for the enemy in this episode, he was a meanie. Monk was able to solve the case(s) in the end, but we never saw how exactly the first murder was committed... unless it was shown and I somehow missed it? I dunno, I just can't get in to this season. If this is the case for everyone, maybe it is time that they ended it.

The Goode Family: waiting to be picked up again.

Sunday:
The Simpsons: September 27th

Family Guy: September 27th

American Dad: September 27th

King of the Hill: I caught it specifically because it was the series finale (which I had thought ran last spring, LoL). It wasn't anything special, just two half-hour shows. In the first episode, Bobby (who appears to have slimmed down a bit, not sure if that's a recent development or if it's just a general comparison from years before) can't find a date to the dance. Three "smart, A-list girls" decide to have some fun with him. (sidenote, why does Bobby's hairline look like it has stitches??) The makeover was very Daria in style, like the flashing of the random pics of the girls in strange hats and the like. Meanwhile, Hank and his friends decide to create a "homeless cart" four carts long. I can't figure out how in the world Hank could ground Bobby on the night of the dance when all he was doing was waiting for a phone call!

In the second episode, Peggy is going to leave Hank and Bobby alone for a night, and Hank is dreading it. They go out to eat, ordering steaks. Bobby argues with the waiter over the quality of the meat, and is promptly asked to join a meat-grading team at the local community college. WHAT THE HELL IS A MEAT EVALUATION TOURNAMENT?!? And how bad must it smell for there to be four cow carcasses hanging in a gymnasium? GROSS. And the hard-coreness is ridiculous... pepper in the eyes? hijacking of a bus? srsly? What exactly did Peggy want Hank to charter a bus for her for...? Glad Bobby could save the day, but it was ridiculous. And the final moment with the entire neighborhood coming over for the steaks that Bobby and Hank prepared on their twin grills was strange, but appropriate enough for the show.

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: September 21st.

Little People, Big World: October 19th.

Lincoln Heights: The new house is crazy big, sucky they don't get to actually live there. Lizzy has no friends? Why Hawaii? Why is Lizzy always having to play detective? Why didn't Tay do anything when he saw the little girl just leave, was he just in shock?

House, M.D.: September 21st.

Lie to Me: September 21st.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: Kate's never grilled? It's not hard. She was pretty emotional. Jon and the kids had a good time fishing, and I was surprised to see he's living in New York City now! That's really all I have to say about that episode...

Table for 12: who knows?

The Secret Life of the American Teenager: off-season.

Cake Boss: off.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: the previews really made me intrigued. And a lot kinda happened... the Wilson family came and helped them lay the concrete for a basketball court and a sidewalk, and they showed flashbacks of learning to build the house with them. The little boys tried to entertain themselves inside while the concrete dried. Jana was watching the little girls (no idea where the other big girls were during this time). Then Jim Bob decided to create a huuuuge slip-n-slide (which John-David confirmed was the "redneck" way of doing it) witha large pool at the bottom. The girls explained the "new" "modest swimsuits" (they are different from the ones they wore previously... I still like Anna's the best). Then, Jim Bob and Michelle told the kids that #19 is on the way. The expressions on most of the kids' faces were strange, and not at all as exciting as the ones last time (but that was on live tv, so I guess that's different, LoL). And I loved how Joy Anna managed to call Josh & Anna and fill them in before Michelle had a chance, haha. But overall, the episode was kinda plain. Anna should be "due" soon, how about we see more of the preparations at their house??

Still missing "Duggars in Dixie" and "Duggars and Bates Reloaded"

Wednesday:
South Park: October 7th.

Glee: I don't like those d@mn cheerleaders corrupting Rachel. grrr. no-thumb guy better not last, I don't like him. And I don't like the way Rachel bluffs. Mercedes' lines suck. What car does Dakota drive? Why the hell do two of the HS boys since for the adult group instead of the HS group? I mean, I understand their reasons, but it shouldn't be allowed - it's just dumb. And, seriously, why is the adult group necessary? They're already giving Will enough stage time with his family and the Emma issues... plus he WAS the glee leader until he just... stopped going? Annoying. It seems like they just wanted another type of musical number, and it's not working for them. Why the HELL was a "gayvention" necessary? Whether or not Mercedes has a grip on the truth, why would Rachel and the other girl need to step in? And why in the world was it necessary for Mercedes to bust the windows? I seriously am ready to stop watching this show if they don't change her character. I can't handle her disrespect. And her lines just got worse when she talked to Kurt after he came out.

Wipeout: season finale! it was a DISGUSTING course!! Ketchup, mustard, and chocolate sauce are gross things to slip/slide/fall in. The first guy was ridiculous with the motivator and the "onion rings." I couldn't believe #2 also got the motivator! and a third one before the first commercial break! The girl who "makes ugly faces" was also not impressive. "these are ugly" and "this is like summer camp from hell" were funny quotes. all of a sudden, a FOURTH motivator gets used!!!!! the fifth one was weird, I missed why the girl had been disqualified already... That cheese sweeper looked haaaaard!! and faaaaast! Four of twelve done in one shot! HIGH!!!! oh geez. Cereal is another rough thing to have to swim into. "Billy Goat Gruff" had a horrible poem. no girls in the Wipeout Zone = :( Gears are so much harder when they have the teeth. Guy #1 just sucked on that course! I wish he had gone later, so they would have stopped him much sooner! 15:50 is ridiculous. Guy #2 beat him with a 15:16. Guy #3 was the worst on the scary-go-round that I've EVER SEEN. Just bad. #4 (who is 54 years old) annoyed me. He should have taken the penalty on the gears after one try. Then all you had to do was hold on during the drop bridge! It took him three times, but luckily he made it with less than a minute to spare!! geez.

Thursday:
16 and Pregnant: off-season.

Top 20 Summer Movies

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Yep, gonna talk about movies this week. While I was reading my Entertainment Weekly, I came across a chart noting the summer's top 20 grossing movies, and I was surprised at how many I had actually seen. Ergo, they make an appearance here today.

20. Bruno. The lone movie on the list that I had no desire to see, whatsoever, regardless of what anyone had to say. I do have a neighbor who took his little sister (like 13) to see it, and that was a bad decision.
19. The Taking of Pelham 123. I didn't get to it. I tried twice, but failed in convincing my movie companions. Will definitely see it when it comes to DVD.
18. Julie & Julia. Still lobbying for it. I came close once, but unexpected guests arrived and that put a damper on plans. Will get to it. I wonder if there's a dollar theatre around here??
17. Inglourious Basterds. Okay, I lied. I also have no intentions of ever seeing this, despite the fact that the one and only Brad Pitt is in it.
16. The Ugly Truth. The only movie on this list for which I can't recall the storyline. At all. Must not have had interest.
15. District 9. Chose not to see it, but my husband and several friends went. They enjoyed it to some extent, and agreed that I made a good decision in not going (I don't do dumb alien stuff or gore...)
14. Public Enemies. Wasn't dying to see it, and it opened at the same time as Dawn of the Dinosaurs. no brainer, peeps.
13. G-FORCE. I thought that this looked really bad. I couldn't come up with a reason to see it... the previews just got dumber and dumber with time. :-\
12. Terminator Salvation. Husband saw it, I passed in favor of Up.
11. GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Saw it. It was boring. So boring indeed that I gave up following the plot (did it even have one?) completely.
10. Angels & Demons. Saw it at the drive-in as our second show in the double-feature. I passed out after the first hour or so, it just couldn't hold my attention.
9. The Proposal. Kinda wanted to see it, but my chick-flick bud had already seen it by the time I got around to asking her. DVD.
8. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. I had to lobby really hard to see this movie, and I don't know why. It was good. I really liked it. Not as much as the first one, but I was happy with it, and wouldn't be opposed if another came about in the future.
7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Saw it. Liked it quite a bit. Didn't care for the ending. Really want to see the back stories of other characters now!!
6. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Took me a while to get to it, and I got there a few minutes late. But the 3D part was cool, although the plot itself was reallllllllllly lacking.
5. Star Trek. My very first one, and I saw it at midnight. I enjoyed the first section a great deal, and some of the later lines were great. I was rather lost, since I didn't understand the usage of time (or space for that matter) in the film, but all's well that ends well.
4. The Hangover. Was really excited about this, since it came out the weekend I was in Las Vegas. Saw it when we got home, and laughed a ton. More than usual for me, since comedy television is a favorite, but comedy movies notsomuch.
3. Up. I didn't get to see it in 3D, but I did see it on a huge screen (not IMAX), so that was cool. I actually had several nitpicks about the movie, and certainly didn't walk away as happy as I was hoping.
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The first Harry Potter in a while that I didn't see at midnight, but I was traveling (to DC) so that's my excuse. I'm ready to see the final two movies and get this franchise over with.
1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Somehow I am among the few who absolutely LOOOOVED this movie! I found parts of it to be great, didn't think the two cars were racist, and was really mesmerized by a lot of the effects. I could have done with a little less Megan Fox, but I think that many share in that stance.

Now, I see a lot of movies. I see even more summer movies. But I didn't think my record for the "popular" ones is ever this good... I mean, I saw NINE out of the top TEN! However, upon further investigation...

In 2008 (movies listed from top-grossing down instead), my summer record was The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hancock, Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, Sex and the City, Mamma Mia!, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Get Smart, Tropic Thunder, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Step Brothers, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Pineapple Express, What Happens in Vegas..., Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. That makes 8 of the top 10, but a higher overall percentage.

2007 (some of the ones I've seen have been rented/purchased/seen on TV at this point, so this list is skewed as I didn't contribute to box office sales on all of them): Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, The Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Ultimatum, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie, Knocked Up, Rush Hour 3, Live Free or Die Hard, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Superbad, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Hairspray, Ocean's Thirteen, Evan Almighty, 1408, Surf's Up, Halloween

2006 (same rules applying from 2007 on down): Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Cars, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Da Vinci Code, Superman Returns, Over the Hedge, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, Mission: Impossible III, The Devil Wears Prada, The Break Up, Nacho Libre, You, Me, and Dupree, Monster House, Barnyard: The Original Party Animals, World Trade Center, Step Up, Miami Vice, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Poseidon

2005: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, The War of the Worlds, The Wedding Crashers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Batman Begins, Madagascar, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Longest Yard, Fantastic Four, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Monster-in-Law, The Dukes of Hazzard, March of the Penguins, Four Brothers, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Sky High, Bewitched, Cinderella Man, Red-Eye, Crash

I'm not going back further than five years, LoL. 2007 was a remarkable summer, apparently. Anyway, I thought this was fun. Feel free to comment and mark the ones you've seen if you like.

Joey

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

From the ten-year classic that drew millions each week to a two-season flop that continually strove to find its audience. Friends without Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, and Ross. Just Joey. And not in New York, but Los Angeles. And not with the charm of the original gang.

I watched all of the 46 Joey episodes in just about a week, and my husband and I spent a good deal of time analyzing why the show just didn't make it. It's actually quite amusing, as you can tell what elements were added and removed throughout the series' run in an attempt to draw in more viewers.

Yes, it is a little out-of-character/place for me to cover a show that wasn't very good in my "canceled too soon" series, but I think it will add an additional dimension to the understanding of what makes a show good enough to continue.

Let's start with the characters. The four characters appearing in every episode are Joey, his sister Gina, Gina's son/Joey's roommate Michael, and neighbor/super Alex. It was a good combination... sexual tension between Alex & Joey, familial issues with the triad, and a catty relationship with Gina & Alex.

Joey's agent Bobbie was in 32 episodes... 14 in the first season and 18 in the second, so that was fairly steady. Neighbor Howard was in 7 the first season and 10 the second... not bad. Zach, an acting friend of Joey's, showed up in the first episode of the second season, and stayed until the final 5 episodes of the series... here's where it gets interesting. Zach brought diversity to the show (black and seemingly homeless), while instituting a new friendship/work dynamic for Joey. I'm really lost as to how he became a major character (he participates in the "secret santa" with the regular characters) and how he just disappeared from the show. Next up: Jimmy, Gina's longtime lover, Joey's friend, and Michael's father (which Jimmy doesn't know for quite a while into his appearances). He shows up in Episode 11 of Season 2, and stays until the end, where he marries Gina. Jimmy is clearly added for the humor that he doesn't know he's Michael's father, and so Gina has a more steady person to interact with on the show. Then there are several people with whom Joey has a couple episodes with, including a rival actor at ausitions, a producer, and coworkers on his drama TV show (Deep Powder). They brought in Carmen Electra and Lucy Liu for crying out loud!

Now, a little more on the regular characters... Michael was a much more central character in the first season than in the second... I guess a 20-year-old sheltered child prodigy with issues talking to girls has been overdone, LoL. Gina's job as hairdresser disappeared and she worked for Bobbie in the second season (despite the fact that Joey gave her the money to open her own studio... that was never talked about again...), allowing her to be around Joey without Michael since they had the workplace and the apartment to interact. Lastly, Alex's divorce to an always-absent husband really seemed to rush the romance between Joey and Alex in a way that took Friends several seasons to flesh out.

Plots. What was the point in having Joey look at houses, pick one out, buy it, redecorate it, move his stuff, have a party, and have the place burn down? Well, it brought in a pretty girl as the interior designer, but otherwise it didn't really serve much of a purpose (with the exception of possibly giving Michael more of his own storylines, but after we see him with his friends, that's useless). Having Joey nearly get fired was good, and having him buy a Mack truck was very in-character. Food and women playing a big role in the show was also good, and a second sister and his father coming in at different times worked well. BUT, why no reference to the grandmother that loved everything Joey was in? Why were the sisters played by different people than the original sisters in Friends? Why was there no mention of the Friends gang except for a vague sexual reference to Rachel?? Could they not get Matthew Perry to at least do a "phone" appearance for the show? And since David Schwimmer did direct several episodes, I find it hard to believe that there were no other crossover events or mentions whatsoever. There are a few other strange things that took place that I could go into, but I think you get the point. Absurd things happening, striving to shine the spotlight on "interesting characters," all in vain.

Now, the show ultimately fell because it was moved from Thursdays to Tuesdays, putting it up against American Idol. But it does seem that hope was lost before that, since it was put on hiatus at one point, and they never did air the final eight episodes in the US. I'm actually kinda surprised that it hasn't been bundled with Friends for syndication. It wouldn't be the first time that two spin-off series taking place in different states were bundled together (think The Torkelsons and Almost Home or Good Morning, Miss Bliss and Saved by the Bell!)...

Summer's Officially Over.

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Friday:
Monk: no new episode.

The Goode Family: waiting to be picked up again.

Sunday:
The Simpsons: September 27th

Family Guy: September 27th

American Dad: September 27th

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: September 21st.

Little People, Big World: October 19th. 8pm, just like everything else.......

Lincoln Heights: September 14th.

House, M.D.: September 21st.

Lie to Me: September 21st.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: missed it.

Table for 12: who knows?

The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Ricky just won't let Adrian go to the therapist! He just wants to be able to influence her, meany. Ashley was really awkward when she walked in on Adrian and Ricky making out... I can't figure out that director's choice right now. Why is Ricky going to George with his problems? And why is George so fatherly to him (aside from the fact he's the baby daddy)? The Ben-George conversation was even stranger. WHY CAN'T GEORGE REMEMBER THAT HE'S DIVORCED?!??! um, the entire world needs to stop coming to George!!! the gay guy too?!??? The look on Grace's face when Jack suggested oral sex was hilarious. Adrian talking about her first time was strange, but I suppose it was good for the youngins to hear. I love Ricky's vulnerable moments, like the "what if" conversation he and Adrian had. Why is Amy back to wearing her old frumpy clothes and not the tight, cute things. How come George and Amy thought of Moose the dog and not calling 911 themselves? I love the idea of George ordering Amy and Ashley to be nurses, and that everyone just laughed and laughed. Similarly, the damn dog calling 911 over and over is ridiculous, especially since it stopped the paramedics from coming when needed. And still the dog managed to convince the 911 operator this time was real?!? what is it, two short barks and a howl? The Madison-Lauren scene in the end was annoying, and it also distressed me that Jack and Madison had oral over the summer. With the Ben-Henry-Alice scene, it just seemed like they wanted to bring in Alice and Henry one last time. How come George feels the need to freak out that baby Robbie isn't his? LoL.

I'd really like it if they changed the opening to show the characters instead of just that cartoon thing.

Cake Boss: off.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: caught the Bowling Birthday Party. The Duggars don't bowl, but the Kellers apparently do, LoL. I'm pretty surprised that one of them managed to get a 108! I'm hard-pressed to break 100 anytime I go, and usually I have a hard time breaking 80. We also saw Cousin Amy's house (assuming she lives with her mother, she might actually have her own apt somewhere), which is pretty nice, and has a GIANT television. We also saw little James get a brand-new bike (which makes sense, not all of those 6 tiny boys can have a hand-me-down bike right now, LoL), and it was nice to watch the patience of Jim Bob while James tried out a ton of bikes and helmets.

Still missing "Duggars in Dixie" and "Duggars and Bates Reloaded"

Wednesday:
South Park: October 7th.

Glee: HAAAAATED the opening. Let's be real, peeps. I love the teacher's outfits, tho! I'm SOOOOO over Mercedes. She's the most annoying character I've come across in a long time. She's almost enough of a reason to give up on this show. I love that we're throwing in some teenage issues... but eating disorders this early on is problematic. BitchTeacherSue is over the top, who really gives that much of a d@mn about making 17 photocopies?!? Why was the principal mesmorized by the song during the pep rally? there is too much romance-drama going on tho, I can't handle the dumbness of HS kids these days.

Wipeout: caught the last two parts of the episode. A combination of the President's address running over and my thinking it was on at 8, not 9, caused me to miss the first half. But it was bad, so I'm not even planning on trying to watch the beginning. The characters weren't full of life, the hostess was pretty blase, and the Wipeout Zone just wasn't as exciting as usual. What WAS neat was seeing each contender come in with a better score than the one before (for the first three anyway).

Thursday:
16 and Pregnant: off-season.

The New Stuff

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I came across a nice compilation of Fall start dates, and figured it would do my readers good to take a look as well. Why? Because I want to hear from you! What do you want to read about? Do you want commentaries, summaries, spoilers? As my current Monday series is coming to a close (less than 10 ideas sitting around, probably less than 5 to actually be finished and published), something new is gonna start up!

For a full rundown of the options, check out: this site.

Notable things I didn't know about:
King of the Hill isn't technically over... the finale will air 8-9pm this Sunday the 13th.
Lincoln Heights is considering itself to be in its 4th season... um, how?
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is not only still running, but apparently in the 5th season??
Dancing with the Stars, Heroes, and House, MD all are running the 8-9pm slot on Monday this fall... this is gonna be rough competition (and this isn't counting the 8-9 How I Met Your Mother / Accidentally on Purpose combo on CBS).
NCIS is running back-to-back series on Tuesday nights now, adding in the LA edition.
The New Adventures of Old Christine is in its 5th season... I think I only even heard about it last season! maaaaaaybe the season before. maybe.
I'm considering keeping ABC as my Wednesday night channel, if Modern Family and Cougar Town work out.
Rita Rocks, starring Holly from King of Queens is a young show! When I caught it late-night Lifetime last year, I assumed it was an older show. Now I come to find out that it's only just about to start a 2nd season on Monday, October 5th. Mondays are too packed for me to add it to regular rotation, but the 7:30pm timeslot is still strange, even for Lifetime.
I thought that Tosh.0 was going on last year... if this seriously is the first season premiere coming up, they've been advertising for a helluva long time.
The Simpsons on Ice special is currently slotted for January 14th, 2010. Strange, since that's a Thursday.
Kendra got renewed... really?!?

Summer Shows are Coming to a Close!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Yep, I've changed the dates this post runs. I had to. I was never catching Monk live, LoL.

Friday:
Monk: Monk looks just like a hitman, so when the hitman has an accidental death, he must fill in. He took the role uber-seriously, and that was kinda crazy. Otherwise, it really wasn't that great of an episode. bleh.

The Goode Family: waiting to be picked up again.

Sunday:
The Simpsons: September 27th

Family Guy: September 27th

American Dad: September 27th

Monday:
How I Met Your Mother: September 21st.

Little People, Big World: October?

Lincoln Heights: September 14th.

House, M.D.: September 21st.

Lie to Me: September 21st.

Jon and Kate Plus Eight: loved how much Alexis and Leah talk now! Kate's pink cowgirl outfit was annoying. the dude ranch just wasn't that intriguing, and while I bet it was a great trip for the boys, it wasn't an interesting trip for me.

Table for 12: who knows?

The Secret Life of the American Teenager: George built Ashley a new room. Amy's jealous... anyone not see that coming? I don't like that all of the arcs were about moving... Betty, Adrian, and the Juergens? geez. I'm surprised Tom didn't lobby for his girlfriend to move into their house! Grace's dad has been dead 5 months? I guess it happened in April? I totally thought it was closer to the end of the school year, since people kept telling her she didn't have to go back until the next year... They named the dog "moose" ??? hahaha, "I forgot your mother and I are divorced." What in the hell do you do with a pogo stick besides jump on it?!? Once again, Ricky is a shining star, and had a great moment with Adrian when he wanted to have sex. Ashley's attire in this episode sucks... it's really boring and very I-wanna-be-a-whore, without having the curves to pull it off. Next week is the half-season finale!

Cake Boss: off.

Tuesday:
18 Kids and Counting: Duggars in Washington, DC again. They started with like a minute in the Capitol, then over to the Jefferson Memorial. They saw the Marine 1 helicopter go over, that was neat. They were really noticed there, so they were rushed to move along. Then it was on to feed the needy... but Jim Bob said he didn't have much experience cooking... like he wasn't sure how to do up some chicken, peppers, and onions... Anna kinda headed up the clothing order-filling. That was interesting, since I never knew how this kinda thing worked. Also, an announcement was made that the Duggars bought all the ingredients... but at another point the head chef said that they get so many donations that they're picky about what they use to cook with... that's a strange statement. It was amusing to watch them use the DC Metro system. I'll vouch that it's not the easiest, but I can't imagine the complications of dealing with and holding that many cards!! oh my gosh!! Leave it to Jessa to figure it all out. The Ethiopian place (Dukem) seemed to be a strange experience for ALL the kids... none of them seemed too excited about it.

I'd love an episode where they showcase a few kids (like 4?) at a time, and show pictures of them growing up. Like I wonder how many of the older girls looked like Joy Anna when they were little.

I'm sure that I caught "Duggars on a Deadline" tonight, and it seems for sure the one I saw last time. So now I KNOW I'm missing "Duggars in Dixie" and "Duggars and Bates Reloaded"

Wednesday:
South Park: October 7th.

Glee: September 9th.

Wipeout: loved the first contestant (Andrea) going through the tipsy towers. hahaha. That Brush Rush looks really difficult... like I don't even have a strategy!! Anya was pretty freaking fast! holy mackeral she killed that first course in 2:01!! SuperBoy killed it in 1:45 AND made it all the way through the tipsy towers! what was up with the ninja kid?? Chelsea did the tipsy towers like some sort of giraffe, but it worked! Round 2 was interesting, the wipeouts were funny. I'm glad the final spot went to Volleyball Coach, I liked her. Jeff would've been a good candidate (the screenwriter), but he made dumb mistakes. I had never seen all the participants so close together than the first & second time they were running #3!! geez! Ninjetta was funny on the spinning, but I didn't care for her grunting. No big items in the Wipeout Zone, but I'm glad ninjetta didn't win, haha.

Thursday:
16 and Pregnant: off-season.

We hit Joey really hard and finished up the entire series (2 seasons). It definitely began to decline in the second season, and it also became really easy to see how the network struggled to gain/maintain a fanbase for the show. I'll be featuring it as my next Monday series (shows canceled before their time), which won't publish until the Monday after Labor Day (heading on a mini vacay, you can read about that sometime soon on the other blog).

Top 10 TV Cars

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

There's a bunch of posts going around the internet about the top ten clunkers on television, so since that was taken I figured I'd give a go at the best cars.

10. The General Lee on The Dukes of Hazzard. All kinds of stunts. Lots of speeding. But getting in and out of the car through the windows is a pain, so that's why he's up at 10.
9. The A-Team's GMC van. Famous for busting through to save the day. Bulky, tho.
8. Matt's Camaro on 7th Heaven. The only car on this list I couldn't get a photo of. Annie, Mary, and Lucy fixed it up. Mary and Matt got a flat tire in it. Annie and Matt were held up in it. Theresa stole it. Simon drove it later. That car got a lot of use, and it was a great car to pick up girls in. Somehow, I just can't get a photo of it!

7. Kitt the Trans Am on Knight Rider. Um, it talks. Done deal.
6. Mach 5 on Speed Racer. The first of three animated vehicles to make my list. Definitely a smooth-looking vehicle. Crazy fast. And all the neat tricks it can do are awesome.
5. Mustang on Full House. Danny drove it. Jesse drove it. DJ learned to drive in it. Joey drove it. It's in the opener for years. Stephanie drives it through the kitchen. Danny stands in front of it in some openers. Jesse's all over it in another.
4. Joey's convertible on Joey. Baby blue, top always down. Joey sped through the streets of LA up until he got his cool yellow semi (no photo available). Actually, the episode where he has to deal with the rental car he never returned was also a classic...
4. George Jetson's space car. Um, duh this made the list. How cool must it be to just zip around? Or to have a clear glass bubble for a roof?
2. Homer Simpson's designer car. This was supersweet in the Simpson's Road Rage game, and thus totally deserves a prominent placement here.
1. Steve's Corvette on Beverly Hills, 90210. Famous for the license plate "I8A4RE" among other things, Steve drove this bad boy up and down LA and the surrounding areas for most of the series (until he and Janet needed something more practical for the baby). Actor Ian Ziering loved the car, although he wasn't allowed to drive it long distances after the first three or four seasons (he let the others drive it off-set or something). I'm only sorry I couldn't get a better shot of that forever-present car!