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Posts tagged ‘tv’

Jun 29

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Revelations

In a break from Middlebury coverage, I feel compelled to reflect on the three shocking revelations of the day.  They all come courtesy of this New York Times article:

The revelations:

1) Larry King has children of little league age.

2) Larry King’s show has lasted this long. He’s really not a good interviewer; he’s been cutting guests off with absurd non sequiturs for at least the past 15 years.

3) Larry King knows how to blog.

Feb 1

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Feb Break Homework: Get on Jeopardy!

AlexTrebekWho hasn’t ever daydreamed of being that lucky contestant, standing opposite the game-show lectern from that classy wiz of a TV host, Alex Trebek, if only to make witty small-talk about your hometown after a commercial break?

If you’re tired of sitting in front of the tube tuned into Jeopardy! on late weekday afternoons, or you actually think, “It can’t really be that hard,” this is your chance to make your dream come true and prove them non-believers.

On February 9 at 9:00 p.m. (ET, 6:00 p.m. PT), you can try your luck, or rather, test your wits, and take the Jeopardy! College Online Test to become a contestant on the college tournament of the classic Merv Griffin game show (the edition with the college sweatshirts… not the one with the 12-year-old punks looking really proud they know that the capital of Vermont is Montpelier… I mean, duh…). Just make sure to follow the link above and register ahead of time.

“Do you have what it takes to become the next Jeopardy! champ?” One MiddKid did. His name was Keith Williams, class of ’07, though he was a first-year when he won the tournament back in 2003. A native of New Hampshire Manchester, Vermont (edit), eventually an economics major, and a Dissipated 8 member, Williams snagged a total winnings of $50,000 and a 2004 Volvo S60R in the nail-biter of a final (brought to you by MiddBlog in 2008).

Since then, the cash prize has doubled to $100,000. Students from Notre Dame, Mississippi State, UCLA, Stanford (the only school to have won twice), and Carnegie Mellon have won; the Ivies have yet to make a showing on the champions’ board, according to the tournament’s well-catalogued Wikipedia (a resource Jeopardy!-alum Williams was later quoted in the NY Times as frequently using… by the way…).

Make yourself useful over Feb break, study up on your world populations and famous quotes, and bring that cup back to Midd! Or, sit back on your couch a’whistlin’ that 30-second theme song (REEmix!), you daydreamer, you, and enjoy classic SNL spoofs and sassy Ken Jennings comments (below) .

Dec 13

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Daly ’06 on The Office

Meet Sam Daly, Class of 2006. He appeared in the most recent episode of the popular TV show, The Office. It will be a recurring role for Daly, who captained the Basketball team while at Middlebury. Daly’s character is the “new gay guy,” and Oscar’s office crush.

(via Katie Clagett)

Oct 23

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QuidditchCenter

Just when you thought Quidditch couldn’t get any more ridiculous… Charlie Hofmann and Kate Olen bring you “QuidditchCenter.”

Oct 19

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Because I know you procrastinate by watching Glee

October is the new April — packed full of events, activities, mid-terms, Homecoming, Parents’ weekend, Quidditch, The Roots, etc.

But no matter how much work you have, you’re going to find time to keep up with your favorite TV shows. The real question is if you’re making the right TV choices this Fall. Still stuck watching Grey’s, Lost, and Entourage? You need some new options:

Prof. Jason Mittell recommends (for more reviews visit Prof. Mittell’s blog):

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO):  I was an ardent fan of this show for the first three seasons, found the fourth season underwhelming, and then let HBO lapse without going back to the DVDs. So season 7 is a return for me, and so far, I’m loving it. There’s still nothing more cringe-worthy than Larry being Larry, and when it’s working, the joy of watching a perfectly structured episode is unmatched – the “Vehicular Fellatio” episode was spectacular. While last week’s episode was more shaggy than I like, I can’t wait to see how the Seinfeld anti-reunion plays out. A-
  • Parks & Recreation (Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC): I enjoyed the first mini-season of this show last spring, recognizing that it was a work in progress with some solid talent on board. This season it’s made the leap, tackling some political topics with a great attitude and confidence. The penguin marriage episode was a highlight, and Louis CK’s guest role has been utterly charming. I only hope that NBC keeps it on despite weak ratings (but isn’t that the norm for all NBC shows these days?).  A-
  • Community (Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC):  I’m enjoying this series quite a bit – I expected the show to be much more frenetic and snarky in tone, but it’s actually a fairly traditional single-camera show. The characters still need more development and there’s been a weak storyline most episodes, but there’s a lot to work with and the performers seem up to the task. B+

The Campus recommends:

  • Lie To Me (Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on Fox): After finding an audience in its first season and getting renewed for a second, the show made an intriguing decision – bringing in Shawn Ryan ’88, creator of “The Shield” and “The Unit,” to run the show.  Ryan, a Middlebury alum, is known not for one-episode procedural story arcs but rather for serial narrative stories.  Transitioning “Lie To Me” from a procedural to a serial, therefore, is an interesting decision. The series follows Dr. Cal Lightman, the world’s leading expert in deception.  He uses face-reading and physical cues to spot lies. Such a character could be captivating when involved in continuing personal storylines, rather than simply in solving cases. It would be interesting to see this ability develop in relationships and other scenarios outside of Cal’s career.
  • Modern Family (Wednesday, at 9  p.m. EST on ABC): The show follows three families: a white suburban family with two kids, an overprotective mother and a dad just trying to be cool; a rich, older man remarried to a young Hispanic woman with a son; and a gay couple just back from adopting a daughter in China.  At the end of the first episode, you discover that the three families are related. …This show reminds me of “Arrested Development” but less risky and “The Office” but with less heart.

Middblog wants to know: what are you watching?

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