AltWeeklies Wire
'Bored to Death' is Full of Listless Ironynew
Since HBO's genuinely funny Flight of the Conchords is likely gone for good, the network could really use some original programming with a goofy sense of humor. Unfortunately Bored is far too smug and weak-willed to actually be funny, but at least it's sometimes light on its feet and has few pretensions to profundity.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-18-2009 |
TV
Looking Back Through the Glass at the 'TRL' Pop-Culture Revolutionnew
Coming in the midst of a tsunami of Woodstock nostalgia, the news that Viacom is not renewing its lease on the Times Square studio where MTV staged Total Request Live didn't attract much attention.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Greg Beato |
08-20-2009 |
TV
Why 'Mad Men' is the Must-See Show of the Summernew
AMC's show about advertising executives in the 1960s, which has gone from a cult hit to the most acclaimed show on television, returns for its third season on August 16, and TV critics everywhere are salivating in anticipation. So is it worth the hype? You're damn right it is. Here's why.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
08-14-2009 |
TV
Animal Planet’s Blend of Documentary and Action Struggles for Balancenew
Whatever happened to good old-fashioned nature shows? You know, National Geographic specials with dry British narration and lots of scenes of lions chasing gazelles?
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
02-19-2009 |
TV
New Doc on PBS Sheds Light on our Looming Water Crisisnew
Jim Thebaut's new documentary takes on the water crisis in the American Southwest, in particular on the oft-overlooked Indian reservations.
Las Vegas Weekly |
T.R. Witcher |
10-03-2008 |
TV
Why I Can't Stand Judge Judynew
Mostly, I dislike the show's red-state fantasy of a judiciary seized back from relativist, waffling judges who are more concerned about the niceties of "due process" than standing up for what's right
Las Vegas Weekly |
Scott Dickensheets |
09-25-2008 |
TV
Tags: TV, Judge Judy
Three New Judge Shows Arrive to Compete with 'Judge Judy'new
There are three new judge shows premiering in syndication this season -- Judge Karen, Family Court with Judge Penny, and Judge Jeanine Pirro -- all of them hosted by no-nonsense women, all of them following the well-worn format with little deviation.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
09-25-2008 |
TV
A New Crop of Game Shows Take On-Air Debasement to a New Lownew
Watching a real Japanese game show conjures up mixed feelings of glee at the rampant creativity and sadness for the desperate contestants who'll do anything for money or attention. Watching shows like Wipeout and Hurl! is merely depressing, a reminder that when faced with a choice between originality and exploitation, American reality-TV producers will almost invariably choose the latter.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
07-25-2008 |
TV
'I Love Money' is Exactly What it Sounds Like: Patheticnew
With I Love Money, even the pretense of looking for a personal connection has been abandoned. The title brazenly declares the true intentions of just about anyone who goes on a reality TV show (look for Please Pay Attention to Me, coming soon).
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
07-07-2008 |
TV
USA’s New Procedural Marshals Little Excitementnew
Procedural fans looking for something new this summer probably won’t mind Sight’s mediocrity, and it does at least make an effort to shed some light on an area of police work that’s underrepresented in TV and movies—and generally depicted from the criminal’s perspective if it’s showcased at all. The more these similar shows fill the cable airwaves, though, the harder each one will have to work to distinguish itself. And in that respect, In Plain Sight clearly falls short.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
06-05-2008 |
TV
'Swingtown' is Both Timid and Titillatingnew
With the sexual revolution in full swing, so to speak, the show's adventurous suburbanites explore such racy activities as group sex and partner-swapping, while their teenage kids do some experimenting of their own.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
06-05-2008 |
TV
'The Big 4-0' Isn't Quite 'My Super Sweet 16' for the Middle-Agednew
Perhaps there's more distasteful wallowing to come, but at least in its first episode, 4-0 is wholesome and bland.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
04-18-2008 |
TV
'Pleasure for Sale' Documents the Lives of Dedicated Sex Workersnew
Despite the occasionally tawdry tendencies, Pleasure is entertaining and even affecting at times, and a mostly fair look at what goes on in legal brothels.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
02-14-2008 |
TV
Celebreality Checknew
Back-to-back evidence of the degradation inherent in being a celebrity in 2008 is available every Thursday, with NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice at 9 p.m. followed by VH1's Celebrity Rehab at 10.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
01-25-2008 |
TV
Tags: TV
They'll Be Backnew
Killer cyborgs return again in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Josh Bell |
01-17-2008 |
TV
Tags: TV
