+ Now's your chance to put those TV watching skills to good use! FOX has launched a new contest inviting fans to create a new "Simpsons" character who will appear on the show. More details will hopefully be available soon at thesimpsons.com website, although there's nothing there right now that I could find. Then again, I am very old and bright colors scare me so I may have missed it.
+ In other generally awesome news, if you haven't seen Nathan Fillion's Halloween costume yet for "Castle," check out this link. Some may consider it a spoiler (like my husband did) but I just think it's cute. Nathan surely knows how to please his fans. (Thanks, AJ, for the link!)
+ Even former Cylons need paychecks: BSG's Tricia Helfer will be guest starring on the greatest comedy ever produced by humankind! That's right -- "Two and a Half Men." Oh, Tricia.
+ Did you know that Bram Stoker's great-grandnephew has written a sequel to "Dracula?" Neither did I. It's called "The Un-Dead" and picks up 25 years after the original novel's ending. USA Today seems to think it's pretty good. Then again, they sometimes have an entire section devoted to NASCAR so...
+ With Halloween on the horizon, here's a list of the 10 Best Halloween Candies of All-Time. (Thanks to my pal Mary for the link!) I've gotta agree with their choice of Hershey's Krackel at number one. What do you think? What's your favorite Halloween treat?
Showing posts with label castle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label castle. Show all posts
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Five reasons to love ABC's "Castle"
I'm full-on smitten with this kooky little show about a successful mystery novelist and his forays into crime fighting. Here's why you should be too:
Reason #1: Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion's charm is like fly paper or the Death Star tractor beam: once you get caught in its grasp, there is simply no escape. Everyone's favorite Canadian (sorry, Lorne Greene) shines as Rick Castle, making what could be an arrogant character into someone whose confidence is mixed with just the right amount of vulnerability and kindness to keep him lovable and interesting. Fillion's great with co-star Stana Katic, who plays police detective Kate Beckett, but he's even better in the scenes that focus on Castle's family, especially his sweet, smart teenage daughter, who provides the perfect calm foil to Castle's mania. The two are so good together, I would watch the show just for their interactions. But really, Fillion's just great, period.
The best father-daughter duo on television.
Reason #2: The show keeps getting better.
While I've enjoyed "Castle" since its debut, the early going for this show was pretty rocky and sometimes made my want to hide my brain under the couch cushions. The mysteries, which are kind of important for a detective show, were beyond simplistic, forcing the characters to look like idiots in order to draw the simplistic mysteries out. Whole teams of chubby Clydesdales could have trotted through those plot holes. But then something miraculous happened toward the end of season 1: plots started to make sense. There was actual tension and suspense. I kept checking the channel guide to make sure I was watching the right show. And not only did the plots start making more sense, all of the character interactions became more natural, the action propelled the show and holy cow, by season's end, "Castle" was a real, live detective show. Judging by the first episode of the new season, the writing has gotten even stronger. Kudos to the writers and producers for not sliding by with mediocre but actually striving for good.
Reason #3: It's really funny.
And not unintentionally funny like when David Caruso squints on "CSI: Miami." Nope, "Castle" reminds me of what "The X-Files" used to do so well: toss out unexpectedly hilarious lines from left field, like Castle's whole riff on a film adaptation of the video game "Asteroids" and how he thinks it'll be okay because they've gotten Ryan Reynolds to play the little green triangle and "he's really good." Or the weird situational comedy that Fillion plays so well:
Reason #4: The supporting cast is actually pretty awesome.
In particular, Jon Huertas as Detective Esposito and Seamus Dever as Detective Ryan. They're like they're own little Greek chorus, just chiming in with funny asides or wry commentary as Castle and Beckett argue or some other absurdity takes place. The show wouldn't be the same without them.
Reason #5: The show doesn't take itself too seriously.
"Castle" is never going to be "Mad Men" or "The Sopranos" or some other pinnacle of artistic achievement, and that's a good thing. We all need a balanced TV diet of weighty stuff like "The Wire" and fun fluffy stuff like "Castle." The show is just a goofy amalgam of everything from "Moonlighting" to "Murder, She Wrote," and it knows it. It's only aim is make you forget your troubles for an hour each week and enjoy a bit of mystery, romance and humor...and Nathan Fillion looking good in suits. What more could you ask for on a Monday night?
Reason #1: Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion's charm is like fly paper or the Death Star tractor beam: once you get caught in its grasp, there is simply no escape. Everyone's favorite Canadian (sorry, Lorne Greene) shines as Rick Castle, making what could be an arrogant character into someone whose confidence is mixed with just the right amount of vulnerability and kindness to keep him lovable and interesting. Fillion's great with co-star Stana Katic, who plays police detective Kate Beckett, but he's even better in the scenes that focus on Castle's family, especially his sweet, smart teenage daughter, who provides the perfect calm foil to Castle's mania. The two are so good together, I would watch the show just for their interactions. But really, Fillion's just great, period.
The best father-daughter duo on television.Reason #2: The show keeps getting better.
While I've enjoyed "Castle" since its debut, the early going for this show was pretty rocky and sometimes made my want to hide my brain under the couch cushions. The mysteries, which are kind of important for a detective show, were beyond simplistic, forcing the characters to look like idiots in order to draw the simplistic mysteries out. Whole teams of chubby Clydesdales could have trotted through those plot holes. But then something miraculous happened toward the end of season 1: plots started to make sense. There was actual tension and suspense. I kept checking the channel guide to make sure I was watching the right show. And not only did the plots start making more sense, all of the character interactions became more natural, the action propelled the show and holy cow, by season's end, "Castle" was a real, live detective show. Judging by the first episode of the new season, the writing has gotten even stronger. Kudos to the writers and producers for not sliding by with mediocre but actually striving for good.
Reason #3: It's really funny.
And not unintentionally funny like when David Caruso squints on "CSI: Miami." Nope, "Castle" reminds me of what "The X-Files" used to do so well: toss out unexpectedly hilarious lines from left field, like Castle's whole riff on a film adaptation of the video game "Asteroids" and how he thinks it'll be okay because they've gotten Ryan Reynolds to play the little green triangle and "he's really good." Or the weird situational comedy that Fillion plays so well:
Reason #4: The supporting cast is actually pretty awesome.
In particular, Jon Huertas as Detective Esposito and Seamus Dever as Detective Ryan. They're like they're own little Greek chorus, just chiming in with funny asides or wry commentary as Castle and Beckett argue or some other absurdity takes place. The show wouldn't be the same without them.
Reason #5: The show doesn't take itself too seriously.
"Castle" is never going to be "Mad Men" or "The Sopranos" or some other pinnacle of artistic achievement, and that's a good thing. We all need a balanced TV diet of weighty stuff like "The Wire" and fun fluffy stuff like "Castle." The show is just a goofy amalgam of everything from "Moonlighting" to "Murder, She Wrote," and it knows it. It's only aim is make you forget your troubles for an hour each week and enjoy a bit of mystery, romance and humor...and Nathan Fillion looking good in suits. What more could you ask for on a Monday night?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Odds and Ends: TV renewals galore, the Martha Stewart of Star Trek interiors, 19th-century robots and Tracy Jordan
+ The verdicts came in on a whole bunch of nerd-favorite TV shows this week and, well, there's good news and there's bad news. But mostly, good news! Going against fate and all things holy, "Dollhouse" actually got renewed for a full second season. Of course, it'll still be trapped on Friday nights but goodness, who among us really thought FOX would renew a Whedon show in our lifetimes? Now I know how people felt when we went to the Moon for the first time. In other good news, "Castle" got renewed as well, prompting Nathan Fillion to tweet, "I can't remember the last time I had a second season of ANYTHING. I don't know if I remember what to do. Step one: go to Canada. Relax." Step Two? "See Star Trek a second time." In other news, "Bones" got renewed for two seasons and "The Big Bang Theory" will return next year as well -- not a shock there! And now for the bad news, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" got canceled. I didn't really watch the show, but the absence of robots from the TV screen is a loss any way you look at it.
+ This man in Leicestershire, England has turned his flat into a dead-on replica of the "Star Trek: Next Generation" Enterprise. The newscaster sounds shocked that it cost him four thousand pounds -- given the detail, I'm astonished it cost that little.
+ io9 has an interesting item about William Douglas O'Connor, friend of Walt Whitman and apparently the author of the first "robot revolution" story. Called "The Brazen Android," it revolves around the creation of an omniscient brass head. The story, which was started in 1857, is available in its entirety as an audio book here.
+ And finally, to brighten your day, a list of everything Tracey Jordan has said this season on "30 Rock." My personal favorite? “I watched Boston Legal 9 times before I realized it wasn’t a new Star Trek.” Hee.
+ This man in Leicestershire, England has turned his flat into a dead-on replica of the "Star Trek: Next Generation" Enterprise. The newscaster sounds shocked that it cost him four thousand pounds -- given the detail, I'm astonished it cost that little.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
+ io9 has an interesting item about William Douglas O'Connor, friend of Walt Whitman and apparently the author of the first "robot revolution" story. Called "The Brazen Android," it revolves around the creation of an omniscient brass head. The story, which was started in 1857, is available in its entirety as an audio book here.
+ And finally, to brighten your day, a list of everything Tracey Jordan has said this season on "30 Rock." My personal favorite? “I watched Boston Legal 9 times before I realized it wasn’t a new Star Trek.” Hee.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Odds and Ends
- You HAVE to check out this tour of the 3,600 square foot tri-level library of Priceline founder Jay Walker. It includes a Sputnik satellite (yes, THE Sputnik), a book bound in rubies, a napkin that FDR used to outline his plan to win World War II. This place is amazing:
The deleted scenes from Season 4.0 of "Battlestar" have hit the internets. They answer a few interesting questions, like where the hell did HeadSix go and what's up with Boomer and Creepy Cavil.
- Leave it to James Gunn to create PG-rated porn...starring Nathan Fillion.The first episode, called "Nailing Your Wife," is funny in a really, really sick way -- just like every other thing James Gunn has ever done. This might be mildly unsafe for work if your employer doesn't like bad double entendres and synthesizers.
- And if you need more Nathan -- and let's face it, who doesn't? -- here's a preview of his upcoming ABC series, "Castle." Here's hoping it doesn't get canceled before it airs. C'mon, network television, give Nathan a chance to be awesomely Canadian on something other than DVD:
- Mark your calendars now: Oct. 26 is World Zombie Day. Go here to check and see if your city is hosting a Zombie Walk for charity. Also food drives...hopefully not with brains and such. Ew. I mean, aaaarrrrgghhhh.
- And finally, if you haven't voted for The Park Bench in the Blogger's Choice Awards, there's still time. Just 50 votes could get us into the top 15! In the immortal words of that creepy U.S. Olympic gymnastics coach Bela Karoly, "We can do it!" A huge thank you to those of you who've already cast your ballots.
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