ANGRY OPTIMIST Not Exactly Quality Reading

Article originally published as Book Review: 'Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart' on Blogcritics.org

I recently had the opportunity to read Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart by Lisa Rogak. It is, as one might imagine, a biography about the popular host of The Daily Show, written by a New York Times bestseller (for Barack Obama in His Own Words). So while it may not be an authorized biography (presumably, based on the way it reads), I expected it to be pretty good.

At first, it was interesting. While a bit dry and slightly disjointed chronologically, I learned a lot in the first hundred-plus pages. The book skips breezily through Stewart’s early work, trying to make it as a comedian, taking menial jobs, continually failing to find success. For those who weren’t familiar with the comedian until he took over The Daily Show, this biography fills in a lot of the gaps, giving us an idea of the journey, and filling in the details of things Jon has mentioned in passing over the years on his show, without going too deep.

Most of Angry Optimist avoids taking a position on Stewart. It presents quotes from a variety of people in his life, but the first two-thirds of it are pretty factual. When there is emotion, it is gleaned from Stewart himself, a character that comes to life on the page early on. The reader is apt to feel the struggles he goes through and relate to them, most of us having to work hard to try to get ourselves to a place we can be pretty happy about.

Then, around page 150, Angry Optimist takes a fairly sudden turn. Soon, the quotes about Stewart are more opinionated and less reliable. One time, the book attributes some words to “a viewer” with no background on who this person is. Since when does the thoughts of one audience member at home rate inclusion in a public work, meant to serve as a viewpoint for the larger fan base? At other times, it gives a biting bit from former correspondent Steve Carell about a particular incident, but without the greater context needed. Most regular viewers of The Daily Show know Carell and Stewart are friends, and the author hints at that earlier, but then presents this almost out of nowhere. It’s as if the writer is just trying to stir trouble or grab some headlines by including such things, which do not add much to the story because they aren’t illustrated further.

Similarly, this is when the timeline of the book breaks down, with the narrative jumping back and forth randomly, skipping ahead years, and then backtracking without warning. In one particular paragraph, it cites 2003 as a moment where things change for Jon, and then in the same paragraph, uses an event from 2002 as a detail to back that up, which doesn’t make any sense at all. It flits around from bit to bit, checking in periodically with themes that are mentioned and then forgotten about for a dozen pages. It’s hard to follow, disjointed, and certainly not a comprehensive take at all.

It’s puzzling to me where weight is given. A lot is said of Colbert and his spin-off, compared to the others involved in the show. But Larry Wilmore is only mentioned, and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver gets nothing. Admittedly, Oliver’s show premiered after the original release of this book, but the inclusion of “new chapter” in this paperback release should rate something, especially because Oliver went on the air before Wilmore and shares a lot more of his format with The Daily Show than the program that took over Colbert’s time slot. Nor does the book go into much why Stewart is choosing now to end his run. It does get into the impact he’s had on the media landscape, but nothing about what lasting change he may or may not have made.

Overall, I left Angry Optimist feeling pretty dissatisfied. The knowledge gleaned early on in no way makes up for the messy, sensationalist bend towards the end, which turns the piece into a semi-gossipy rag more than an informational biography. At only 231 pages of actual text, it also doesn’t have time to really dig into the subject to figure out essential truths about him, and it feels like the author gives up trying to halfway through. Not having read Rogak’s other work to this, I’d be curious to know if this is normal for her, or if it’s a sign of how she feels about Stewart after researching him. Either way, it’s not nearly as enlightening or scholarly as it should be.

The pictures included are also randomly dropped into places that don’t make sense, but generally the author has no control over this. I understand placement often depends on the printer and production, but I wish more books took the time or effort to better control this aspect.

Angry Optimist: The Life and Times of Jon Stewart is now available in paperback.

Sports Show With Norm Macdonald like extended Weekend Update

     It looks like Comedy Central is trying to expand its talkshow lineup. With the success of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report dominating one hour four nights a week, Comedy Central tries to put other shows like them, but not too much like them, in the ten thirty slot from time to time. The highest rated so far is Tosh.0, which has run for several seasons. The Onion SportsDome isn't as timely, but still pretty funny. Now, comedian Norm Macdonald tries his hand with Sports Show With Norm Macdonald, which in its debut episode, proved it can hang with its peers.

     Rather than smash other series in at 10:30 on weekday nights, though, wouldn't it make more sense to build a solid Friday nights eleven to midnight? That way Comedy Central could run original, fresh programming five nights a week. Norm could easily be a weekly thing almost year round, like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are, with The Onion filling in the ten weeks or so a year Norm takes off, as its episode can be aired any old time. Tosh.0 could probably put up reruns on weeks it doesn't have fresh material, and a whole new must-see hour is born. Unless you don't like Tosh.0, because it is admittedly a terrible show. But it's popular, hence the suggestion.

     Norm begins the show by delivering fast-paced one-liners, a la Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. Norm once held the Update chair, and he has not lot his touch at the job at all. He is witty, and only having to do it once a week, he can keep things fresh and exciting. This is the strongest segment of his show, running for the first ten minutes or so. The one-liners can be broken up with occasional longer bits, such as his "Wait, What?" where he shows a polar bear getting in the way of a skier, or his trivia contest where viewers are supposed to guess which one of six dancers is about to be hit by an ice-cream truck. The answer is obvious, but the humor still sails across just fine.

     In the second section, Norm left the studio to do a bit, much like The Daily Show often does. This week, Norm 'had makeup put on him to look like NBA star Blake Griffin'. It began with Norm in a makeup chair, then Norm provided voice while the real Griffin stumbled around looking foolish. Strange, yes, but also effectively funny. Griffin is a good sport, mouthing whatever words Norm wrote for him to mouth. The payoff at the end of the sketch isn't necessary, but works as a capper.

     The third portion consists of Norm standing in front of a screen like Tosh's opening or The Soup. This isn't quite as good as the first act, but does allow Norm to do longer jokes, such as "What the H". This week's topic of the bit is Tiger Woods. While the content may be slightly dated, as everyone got tired of making fun of Tiger months ago, Norm can be forgiven for doing it because his series has just premiered. It doesn't feel like Norm arrives late to the party, as he takes a different stand than almost any other comedian, siding with Woods. By the end of the joke, many audience members may have been swayed to agree with him. However, this could be in the first segment as well, so perhaps he should try doing an interview in place of a second run of short quips.

     The show ends with Norm doing 90 seconds of 'garbage', which is an apt term. The ending needs work. But not too shabby. While Norm's stand up may not be so fresh any more (his recent special is nearly unwatchable), he has proven he can still do something well. Hopefully, Norm will soon become a more permanent part of the Comedy Central lineup.

     Sports Show With Norm Macdonald airs Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

 

Click here for an alphabetical list of all of Jerome's Current Season Reviews.

Bob's Burgers opens a "Bed & Breakfast"

     I still haven't decide if FOX's Bob's Burgers is good enough to warrant a second season pick up. But it has often been as funny as other, longer running shows on Animation Domination, so in that regard, I would like to see the series renewed. I don't really care for the 7:30 showings of American Dad caused by five shows sharing a broadcast night, but instead of running reruns as much, if the five shows were to be put in a rotation, I think it might be a really cool system. I can't think of a network that's done a rotation block of this sort, and it's high time to try it.

     In last night's episode, Linda (John Roberts, but not the Chief Justice) decides to turn the family's small dwelling into a bed and breakfast during a long weekend, taking advantage of the tourist traffic. Three guests show up: a couple who would like to stay in their room having kinky sex and an entomologist who is mating beetles. Besides the sexual sight gags, the animations smartly included more and more beetles crawling on the walls as the episode wore on.

     Linda is not at all satisfied with their participation in her many planned events, so she lets restaurant regular, Teddy (Larry Murphy, Delocated, Ugly Americans), who is really excited about the concept, stay, too. Unfortunately for Teddy, or fortunately for viewers, she lets Teddy have Louise's (Kristen Schaal) tiny room, and Louise sets out for revenge on the unwanted guest. She accomplishes such by using the aforemention beetles, as well as playing on Teddy's extreme discomfort with customed characters in a very visually entertaining scene.

     Louise has quickly become my favorite character, voiced by the hilarious Schall, who also is a correspondant for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Louise seems to live in a world all her own, but unlike other characters in that vein, say Stewie from Family Guy, Louise is bound by reality. Still, if you need a lock picked, or an idea that no one else would think of in a million years, Louise is your girl. She is also the youngest of the clan, but not a toddler, which I find refreshing.

     Many episodes thus far have dealt with the family helping out Bob, but this is the second time that Linda and her schemes have been the focus, and I like it. As Linda tries to implement her dreams in their lower-middle class reality, she struggles with the execution. In these times, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin, doing double duty as the title character in both Bob's Burgers and Archer) gets to demonstrate what a loving, well grounded husband and father he is. Bob has his flaws, but he comes through in a pinch, more so than other animated TV dads.

     I like Bob's Burgers because, while not always as laugh out loud funny as The Simpsons or American Dad, the family dynamics are more realistic. The show demonstrates humor in characters that are odd, but not as over the top as their peers.

     Bob's Burgers airs Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Article first published as TV Review: Bob's Burgers - "Bed & Breakfast" on Blogcritics.

Click here for an alphabetical list of all of Jerome's Current Season Reviews.

 

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

Bob's Burgers - "Human Flesh"

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

     What to say about FOX's new animated sitcom, Bob's Burgers? Pushing American Dad to 7:30 starting next week because FOX Sunday is so stuffed with animation that it's spilling out of primetime, I'm not sure Bob's Burgers deserves that kind of clout. Putting it up against the other four series in Animation Domination, I'd put either Bob's Burgers or The Cleveland Show in that 7:30 slot, so I'm kind of disappointed. Bob's Burgers is funny, but not hilarious.

     The show revolves around the Belcher family, who run a restaurant called, appropriately enough, Bob's Burgers. Husband, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin, the star of Archer), is the boss and owner. He's a loud mouth, stubborn, ignorant jerk, who somehow happens to still be amusing. That could be thanks to Benjamin's not-small talent. Wife, Linda (John Roberts, no, not the Supreme Court justice), falls into the traditional sitcom wife role, never really getting too mad at Bob for forgetting their anniversary, and being happy with her mediocre lot in life. Bob doesn't deserve her. Eldest daughter, Tina (Dan Mintz - what's with the guys voicing the girls?) didn't have any distinguishing characteristics I picked up on in the first episode. The middle child, Gene (Eugene Mirman, The Flight of the Conchords), is as dumb and as in a world all his own as his father is, but still has that youthful, naive joy about it. Youngest daughter, Louise (Kristen Schaal, The Daily Show), was my favorite. She makes up wild stories, and just tries to keep life interesting. The kids and wife are also Bob's sole staff at the restaurant.

     In last night's first episode, "Human Flesh", Louise has told her class that Bob's Burgers uses human flesh in their patties. Unfortunately, that report gets back to health inspector, who used to date Linda, and he comes and posts a big, frightening investigation sticker on the front window of the store during their busiest weekend, driving away all customers, and stirring up a neighborhood revolt. Hugo's jealousy over Linda makes the situation worse that it need have been. The only person who will (secretly) continue to eat the food, is neighbor Mort the Mortician (Andy Kindler, Everybody Loves Raymond, Last Comic Standing), which doesn't help with the rumors. Also not helping, Louise changing the burger of the day board to The Pedophile, served with candy, with does attract one more patron. In the end, Bob embraces the lie to lure in The Adventurous Eaters Club, and overcharges them enough to make up for the slow sales.

     The humor was pretty good. Louise was the only one that elicited an out loud chuckle from me, but Mort and Bob earned smiles. I wish Linda were a bit more interesting, but with only one episode under the series's belt, there's plenty of time for that, as thirteen episodes are expected in the first season. Similarly, if the show is to be good, Tina needs more development. By contrast, I'd prefer that Gene stay just the way he is, played for comic relief, and never taking too much story for himself.

     The animation really bugged me, though, and made it hard to enjoy. Bob's Burgers is created by Loren Bouchard (Dr. Katz, Lucy the Daughter of the Devil), and uses his style from Home Movies, which I didn't care for. I think it's the weird torso-neck-head shapes that really throw me. It makes the characters look non-human, and not in a good way. I believe I can get past it, should the show at least maintain the writing and voice talent level of it's first episode.

     My review of "Human Flesh" is mixed, for the reasons listed above, so it's hard to give a recommendation. It's not a bad show, by any means, but on a night stacked with established, long running greats like The Simpsons and Family Guy, it doesn't measure up, at least not yet. The biggest thing Bob's Burgers has going for it is that it's different, and NOT created by Seth MacFarlane, whom I love, but have no desire for a fourth series from him until one of the others three end. Unless he departs from his formula, that is.

     Bob's Burgers currently airs Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m. on FOX. If you missed it, the first episode is currently available free from Amazon's Video on Demand service.

Article first published as TV Review: Bob's Burgers - "Human Flesh" on Blogcritics.

Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Inspired

      I'd like to tell you what it felt like to be at the Rally to Restore Sanity and / or Fear, but it's difficult to convey in words. I'm sure by now many of you have seen the bad reviews. As I had a hard time seeing and hearing things at the rally, I watched my TiVo recording of the entire thing last night, and was disappointed by much of the content. Yep, it was boring, at times awkward, and mostly music. I could give you the rundown on everything that happened, but you can find that elsewhere. Suffice it to say, if you were judging on the event only on what went on onstage, you would be disappointed.

     But as usual, the truth is far more nuanced, and this was one of those occasions where you just had to be there. To be packed in with 215,000 other people was amazing. The excitement was thick. Everyone was smiling. No one was shoving. People were polite and reasonable, as the Jon Stewart asked them to be. Some people brought signs and stickers that they were passing out free to others. It was a big feeling of community. You really got the sense that the attendees were there because they believed in the Sanity message, not Fear, and certainly not some overly radical political agenda.

     Sure, that number of attendees has been debated. Estimates range for 200,000-250,000, though 215,000 seems to be the number most media outlets have gone with. I'm sure FOX puts it at much lower number. Their reviews talked about 'political radicals' and 'backlash against the tea party'. Sure, I only saw a small fraction of the crowd, but I can assure you, most signs were not politically motivated on either side. Most were just plain fun. Throughout this article, you'll see some of the pictures I took, and they are much more representative than what you may have heard from that famously-biased news network. Ok, let the negative commenting below begin.

     I can tell you, the spirit of hope was everywhere. It was like the best days of President Obama's campaign. Eating the provided continental breakfast at the full-booked hotel outside of D.C. (from which it took nearly an hour to get downtown), people all around me were talking about heading to the Rally, and what it meant to them. From first thing that morning, there was already something in the air, and it was coming from that far away.

     What was happening onstage wasn't all bad, though. Jon Stewart gave out medals for Sanity, and he made some really great choices from recent news stories. One went to the young man that took the Koran from the guy who wanted to burn it. Another went to the pitcher who lost a perfect game to a bad call from an umpire.
 

     As some have said, Stephen Colbert's place, and Fear itself, was for comic relief. While there have been complaints about the reduced, unbalanced role, it was definitely appropriate. Colbert's show, which I love, is one big joke. He is a satiric pundit, whose purpose is to make one side of the aisle look ridiculous, and play a character with a huge ego. He served that purpose just fine at the rally. Colbert certainly has his place, but if he had been given too much focus, and his character's opinions (Colbert's opinions are much more sane) allowed to be legitimized, it would have undermined what was going on there.

     Finally, Jon Stewart's speech was beyond mesmerizing. He really captured the spirit of not only the people gathering in D.C. to see him, but a whole lot of Americans out there fed up with what's happening. Below is part of the content of that speech, to give you an idea of what his message truly was. After you've read it, I'm sure there will be little doubt what Stewart is about, and why the Rally needed to be held at all:

     “I can’t control what people think this was. I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or passionate argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies.

     But unfortunately one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country’s 24 hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying up to our problems bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected dangerous flaming ant epidemic.

     If we amplify everything we hear nothing. There are terrorists and racists and Stalinists and theocrats but those are titles that must be earned. You must have the resume. Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers or real bigots and Juan Williams and Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people but to the racists themselves who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate - just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe not more. The press is our immune system. If we overreact to everything we actually get sicker. And perhaps eczema.

     And yet, with that being said, I feel good—strangely, calmly good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us through a fun house mirror, and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead and an a** shaped like a month old pumpkin and one eyeball.

     So, why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle to a pumpkin a**ed forehead eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course, our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable. Why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution or racists and homophobes who see no one’s humanity but their own? We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is — on the brink of catastrophe — torn by polarizing hate and how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done, but the truth is we do. We work together to get things done every damn day!

     The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. But Americans don’t live here or on cable TV. Where we live our values and principles form the foundations that sustains us while we get things done, not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done. Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do — often something that they do not want to do — but they do it - impossible things every day that are only made possible by the little reasonable compromises that we all make...

     [People must get along when traffic merges.] ...And they do it. Concession by concession. You go. Then I’ll go. You go. Then I’ll go. You go then I’ll go.Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car? Is that an Obama sticker on your car? Well, that’s okay—you go and then I’ll go...

     ...If you want to know why I’m here and want I want from you, I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me. Your presence was what I wanted.

     Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. To see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine. Thank you."

     Hearing those words, it was impossible not to be moved. No matter what your political views, most of us are reasonable, and want to find ways to get along. Most of us are willing to work with the other side of the aisle, and most of us do not demonize the people who disagree with us? How can we? They are our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncle, cousins, siblings, friends. My family was almost perfectly split down the middle in 2008. I'm sure it wasn't the only one.

     No one can tell yet what effect the rally might have on today's mid-term elections. Likely, that effect will never be known. Will Stewart have mobilized millions of people to go out and vote, based on his audience, mostly young liberals? Will he have reached people on both sides to bring the candidate who they feel will most likely bring a real American spirit of compromise? I think the Rally definitely inspired many, although to what extent, I can't be sure.


For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.


Article first published as Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear Inspired on Blogcritics.

Community grew into consistent funny

     I wasn't a fan of NBC's Community last year.  I think I watched two episodes, maybe a bit of a third, last fall, and found it much more stupid than amusing.  A friend told me that it improved by winter.  I gave it another chance, and the first episode I sampled at that time didn't impress me.  At her urging (she usually has really good taste in TV, especially comedies), I tried one more episode, and found it pretty funny.  And so, more because she was so excited about it, than because I wanted to, I pre-ordered the first season DVD and watched the whole season in a few days this fall.  I'm glad that I did.

     Community took a little time to find it's footing, but the reason that I wasn't much into it from my winter sampling was because it really builds on itself over time.  It's not exactly serial, although there are serial elements.  Most episodes are stand alone, though.  It's just that the characters go through a lot together, and somehow, the more you watch them, the more you grown fond of them, they way they have with each other.

     Last week in "Basic Rocket Sciene", most of the group is trapped in a KFC space simulator, except for Abed (Danny Pudi), who was so excited that he ran home to change into a space suit.  The episode parodied a number of astronaut movies as the study group tried to finish the simulator, while Abed and Dean Pelton (Reno 9-1-1's Jim Rash - why isn't he a main character yet?) guided them in.  And Pierce went crazy, an oppurtunity for Chevy Chase to act more weird and outlandish than he has in awhile.  He's a great comic actor, who has made some of the best and worth movies of all time, but I can see why he is enjoying himself in this show.  It was very funny.

     I'm still trying to figure out how Senor Change (Ken Jeong) fits into the show, though.  He was the mean teacher the first season, but then was fired, and has become a student.  Will he eventually integrate into the central study group, a friend to the other misfits?  He's not any more screwed up than the rest of them, after all.  Or will he morph into an even greater villain, intent on taking them down?  I can't decide which I'd rather see.

     The basic cast is led by Joel McHale (The Soup) as Jeff, but also includes Mad Men's Alison Brie as Annie, the aforementioned Chase, and occasionally, The Daily Show's John Oliver and the hilarious John Michael Higgins.  The lesser know actors, Donald Glover, Gillian Jacobs, and Yvette Nicole Brown have all also been around for awhile, and hold their own.  It's a true ensemble, and that's what works best.

     I have changed my mind on Community.  It's certainly not my favorite sitcom on television, but it's earned a season pass on my TiVo.  I hope it can do the same for you.  Community airs Thursday nights at 8pm on NBC.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional TV news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

Steve Carell is leaving The Office

    For six seasons Steve Carell has starred as boss Michael Scott on the American version of The Office on NBC.  At the end of next season, his seventh, he will be departing from the series.  He insists that he will nto be changing his mind, and that this is no a negotiating tactic, saying, "I just want to spend more time with my family."  The former The Daily Show cast member is definitely one of the biggest reasons for the sitcom's success, and his departure is sure to shake things up in a big way.

    One option may be to just end the series.  Seven years is a good run, and audiences may not be able to accept the show without Michael Scott.  Other cast members may also choose to exit, so it may be more than Scott that is lost.  There is plenty of precedence for this.  Series that have tried to continue without one or more main characters, sometimes under a different name (After M*A*S*H, The Golden Palace, Joey) don't often do very well.

     Another option may be to try to get Carell to accept a part-time commitment, as Zach Braff did to try to help Scrubs continue last year.  On the British version of The Office, Scott's counterpart David Brent (Ricky Gervais) was fired midway through the series, but would show back up every week to hang out with his former co-workers.  I don't see Scott doing the same thing, as he is not as big of a loser as Brent was,  but perhaps Scott could appear in six or seven episodes.  The problem there is, who will be the new boss?  Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) counterpart did it in the British version, but again, because of character differences, it wouldn't work so well over here.  Presumably Jim (John Krasinski) would top the list, or producers could bring in a new actor or actress.

     Either way, The Office has at least one more season, and will return to NBC in the fall.

The Office has new leads

     NBC's The Office has new leads.  Yes, that was the title of this week's episode.  And yes, it likely referred to the 'new leads' that Sabre, the new parent company, sent to the office for them to follow up on.  However, if you have been watching, there has been a shift lately, and it's apparent who two of the new leads in the show are
.
     When the series began there were five character in the theme song, and that is how it has stayed during the show's run.  However, recently a sixth face was inserted.  Andy Bernard (Ed Helms, The Daily Show, The Hangover) started as a recurring character back 2006, gained popularity, was hired full time, and now is one of the people that the show focuses on.  Deservedly so.  The man who began an annoying guy with anger management issues has wormed his way into the hearts of fans everywhere.

         Last spring another new face showed up in The Office and stayed.  That face is Kelly "Erin" Hannon (Ellie Kemper, Upright Citizen's Brigade, The Onion).  She replaced Pam (Jenna Fischer) at the receptionist desk, and as soon as she established herself as part of the ensemble, it have Andy the boost he needed to be a leading man.


     For five years the romantic themes in the series were always about Jim (John Krasinksi) and Pam.  Now that they are married and have a baby, their connection has stabilized.  While this is primarily a workplace comedy, there needs to be romantic tension to keep things going.  Andy and Erin have become that couple.  They're a little bit goofier than Jim and Pam, and their trip to the altar shouldn't take nearly as long, but it's nice to get a new, fresh thing going on.  This week, they even shared their first kiss.  In a garbage dump.

     The Office airs on NBC Thursdays at 9pm.

It's official: Conan is done with NBC

     It's a done deal.  Multiple news sites (like this one, this one, and even this one!) have reported that Conan O'Brien has accepted a $45 million severance package to leave NBC for good.  It had been reported that the major obstacle left to be worked out concerned what would happen to Conan's staff.  Under the final deal, Conan will take $33 million, and the rest will be split among his roughly 200 employees.

     Something else that needed to be negotiated was how long Conan needed to stay off the air waves after leaving NBC.  While he was still supposed to be under contract to the network for some time, this current deal will allow him to return to television as early as September 1st of this year, assuming someone else hires him.  ABC doesn't seem to be much interested, and Fox, which was willing to pay a heck of a lot a few short years ago, is playing coy.  Comedy Central is said to be a possibility, but how he would fit in with the very popular Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert remains to be seen.

     Conan will air his final episode as host of The Tonight Show tomorrow night, and will feature guests Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell.  You may remember that Farrell was on his first show, way back last June.  NBC will air reruns of the show next week, which had previously been scheduled, but there is no word yet on what will do during the last two weeks before the Olympics, during which Conan was supposed to film new episodes, but will now not.  NBC wasted no time in confirming that after the Olympics are over, Jay Leno will resume his previous job as host of The Tonight Show in it's customary time slot.  While Leno had better ratings than Conan ever achieved, popular support in the current fight has been mostly behind the Irish red head.

      The Tonight Show, no matter who is hosting, airs on NBC at 11:35pm Monday through Friday.

Taking Woodstock for a spin

     Ang Lee's (Brokeback Mountain) newest film came out on DVD a week ago.  Taking Woodstock stars Demetri Martin (The Daily Show With Jon Stewart) as a young man who, trying to help his parents avoid foreclosure on their hotel, brings the famous Woodstock festival to his hometown, turning it upside down.  While many in the town protest, others enjoy the commerce and attention.  Soon a million hippies invade, bringing their peaceful, drug-filled, sex-fueled ways.  The movie meandered at a slow pace, but stayed interesting.  It was a journey of self-discovery for not only Martin's Elliot, but also his parents, played by Henry Goodman and the fantastic Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).  Both delivered superb performances, proving that you are never too old to undergo a transformation and be true to who you really are.

     Adding to the humor and full picture of this small town was Eugene Levy (American Pie, Best in Show) as the farmer who rented his fields out for the festival and pocketed every penny he could, and Liev Schreiber as Vilma, the cross dressing security guard.  The latter, in particular, was a surprising delight.  It was a part that was a real departure from Schreiber, and his mother hen rendition could not have been more appropriate.  He played huge roles in each of the main character's plots.

      The tone was great, and unlike many recent releases, the concert was never really shown in the movie.  That wasn't what was important.  It was a character-driven piece, seeking to capture a moment and spirit in American history, and largely succeeding.  Plus, there was lots of non-sexual nudity, something not so common in modern cinema.  I would highly recommend this film.