"Lost" - Tantalizing Rumor Alert

BuddyTV and Kristin at E!Online are reporting that Micheal and Walt might be back full time on the island - or in the future - come season four. Rumor has it both Harold Perrineau (Michael) and Malcom David Kelley (Walt) have been approached to return to Lost as series regulars.

The full story is at BuddyTV.com. I'm intrigued by the possibility the article suggests that Walt's aging will be handled in the show. Could this mean we see him in flash-forwards? Could this mean when he raised Locke from the dead he was coming back from the future? Did he and Michael never really get off the island and his growth is the effect of Others experiments or the weird electromagnetism of the island?

Man-oh-man is it going to be a long nine months!!!!!

Skip Through The Ads My Darlin'

No wonder the majority of new shows each season tank - it turns out, in this era of DVRs and OnDemand programming, TV execs are spending more time finding ways to develop ad revenue than they are developing new series.

From a certain standpoint, I can appreciate this. Ultimately, if they can't sell ads, we won't get television for nearly as inexpensively as we do now. Unless we want a glut of a quasi-reality, American Idol type shows; cheap to produce and hand-over fist money makers.

The problem is they're focusing on the wrong problem. DVRs provide essentially the same function as VCRs, which have been around for close to 30 years. Why the sudden scare that commercial viewership is decreasing? Granted a DVR will allow you to only slightly time shift a program (say start watching it 10 minutes in), where with a VCR you have to wait until the show is done recording. However, with the limited numbers of DVRs in use I have to ask again, what is the sudden scare? It can't be any sort of pre-emptive strike, American businesses having proven time and again that they are too shortsighted to be proactive. So what is it that they are actually reacting to?

Got me. Even though I skip through the ads most times when watching recorded programs, I sometimes will stop and go back if something catches my eye. For instance I'm a big fan of the Mac ads, so if I catch a glimpse while one is going by at the speed of a freight train, I back up the program to check it out. Same goes for something that looks quirky or funny in high-speed; I'll go back to play it in real time to see if it was. When watching a show "live" however, I usually just change the channel to something else and wait out the commercial break - thank goodness for dual-tuner DVRs. In this scenario the advertisers actually fair better when I'm watching something I've recorded or time-shifted on the DVR.

Contrary to what they teach in business school, advertising can be successful without being in your face. A poorly designed ad will fail no matter how high it's volume or obnoxious it's presence. A well designed ad however, even one playing on a TV used primarily as background noise, can still catch the interest of the essentially uninterested viewer. So can a well-thought-out product placement.

You know what I remember more than the commercials that aired during an episode or season of The Office weeks or even months after it has ended? The fact that they have Staples products strewn throughout the Dunder-Mifflin complex. The irony of this juxtaposition makes this memorable enough, but the fact that I notice, and chuckle at it every week makes it even more so. Staples is getting every bit of their money's worth out of that deal.

Product placements can work, and don't necessarily have to lessen the integrity of the show. Of course, if they are done poorly and out of context - see the J&J Acuvue placement in a Smallville episode from a couple seasons ago - the results can be horrific. I'm willing to risk it however, if for no other reason than the hope that it might free up some time for the suits to work on giving us some innovative programming.

Season Finale Highlights and Lowlights

Lots of big doin's in the past week. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights):

The Simpsons - The finale actually consisted of two unrelated episodes, the second being the series' 400th. The first episode however was my favorite of the two. I love The Simpsons, but I rarely watch the episodes in their first run anymore; I either wait for syndication or the DVDs. However, when I saw they were doing a 24 parody I couldn't pass. This ep was spot on (did I see Jack with his man bag?) and so good in fact that I want more Simpson's episodes in this style. The second episode was good too, if for no other reason than Homer's letting us know that he learned from Fox news that "Mexican gays are sneaking across the border and unplugging our brain-dead ladies". Looking forward to the movie this summer.

The Office - A classic episode, and a great way to end a great season. Michael's going nowhere, Jim's got a date with Pam, and Ryan will now be Michael's boss. His exchange with Kelly after his phone call from corporate was fantastic. As was the barely noticeable comment from CFO David Wallace that the corporate HR guy is kind of a jerk. The table has been set for what should be a hilarious fourth season. My only concern is that NBC has apparently ordered thirty episodes for next season. That's 1/3 more the funny; it may be hard to pull off.

24 - This episode was better than most of it's predecessors this season, but still indicative of the unevenness of this sixth season. It was good to see the return of Jack's man bag, but his final confrontation with his father was a bit of a let down. Plus wasn't it just super-convenient that Audrey's house was only a four minute walk from the spot where Jack jumped off the helo? Lots of stories about the producers hearing our frustration and making some significant changes for Jack's next long day. Let's hope they're true.

Lost - Thank goodness for DVRs. I don't think I would have remained mentally stable (relatively, of course) if I had to wait through each commercial break of what was an especially intense and simultaneously uplifting and browbeating two hours of television. The game has definitely changed, and I didn't really see it coming until Jack was alone in his pad with countless maps of the South Pacific. The only other clue I picked up in my initial watching was how new his cell phone looked, but I thought maybe that was just a prop dept. mistake. What a great episode: action, emotional engagement, a good number of loose ends tied up, and several more laid out. I can't wait to see how the show will reconcile its "new" format with the need to tie up all the other loose ends that still exist. Who's funeral do you think it was nobody showed up for?

Smallville - A little uneven, like the rest of the season. Lana's death was a (self-planned) setup telegraphed by the unnecessary delivery van that passed in front of her right before the explosion. I was really hoping Lois was actually dead and Chloe was going to take over her identity for some reason. I'll be sad if Chloe is really dead, cause the actress is much more likable than the chick who plays Lois. The appearance of the Martian Manhunter and Bizarro was cool, but could have been much better executed. This show never allows for more than five minutes an episode for its climactic scenes, and it usually results in a bit of a letdown, just like...

Heroes - I loved the final episode, right up until the last scene with Nathan jetting Peter off to safely explode in the atmosphere. I don't really care if Nathan's dead, but if they really killed off Peter I may stop watching; it's like killing off Superman in a Justice League scenario. The two episodes leading up to the final had a lot of build up to what was billed as a spectacular confrontation. Well, there was a confrontation, but it wasn't very spectacular, and it lasted less than three minutes. Peter used none of his powers to stop Sylar, instead absorbing Nikki's strength to knock him around until Hiro showed up to deliver the fatal blow. This begs another question. Why couldn't Peter just fly himself away? Why did he need Nathan? Hiro's eventual landing in Ancient Japan is interesting, but like a lot of other viewers I felt a little insulted by how weak a job was done of wrapping things up. This show had a good first season, but I think a lot of that was based on faith. I kept watching, even though I wasn't totally connected with any of the characters, for the promise of what the show could be. It seemed like in the last few episodes it might live up to that potential, but then at the last minute it tripped. I just hope in can pick itself up for season two.

"24" aka "As The Clock Ticks"

While watching 24 last night I couldn't help but wonder if the writing staff had walked out and been replaced by soap opera writers. Are you kidding me with that heart-to-heart between the Veep and Karen? The only thing missing was some weepy violin music playing softly in the background. But that wasn't the only homage to daytime serials in this episode. Marilyn's question to Jack - "Did he say anything else?" - regarding Papa Bauer's abduction demand for Josh confirmed in my mind that the boy is actually Jack 2.0; a fact I'm sure Jack will find out only once his spawn has died at the hands of his dear old, China-loving, seriously-in-need-of-a-trim Grandad.

It's a shame really, because last night's episode started off pretty good; even in spite of the fact that the writers actually want us faithful viewers to believe that a building as secure as CTU could be breached through a sewer grate in what appears to be the building's utility closet. It was good to see Jack and The Ricker force a showdown with Cheng, and even better to see Morris gain some redemption through his helping Jack and Nadia take out their captors. Those instances were fleeting however, and not enough to make up for the ridiculousness of the aforementioned scenes or that of the White House Chief of Staff running a covert field-op.

When will this day ever end? Oh yeah, that's right, next week.

"Lost" Housekeeping

The end-date of Lost has been confirmed and Jeff Jensen at EW.com has an interesting interview with the producers about the show's future prospects now that they can officially say they know where the show is going. Note the Star Wars reference buried in the middle of the article.

Jensen's preview of tonight's episode, "The Man Behind the Curtain", is also available at EW.com. Especially intriquing is the producers' tease that "two words will change Locke's life". Also note a second Star Wars reference from an unrelated source. Despite Lost's numerous father-son dynamics, I don't actually buy into the show being based in any way on the Skywalker family tree. Still, the references and related theories are kinda fun.

I'm getting extremely psyched for the finale. I'm trying my hardest to stay away from the spoiler sites, but sometimes can't help myself. By all accounts we are building to what sounds like a great two-hour season ender.

"Law & Order": Moving Violation

Speculation has been rampant in recent weeks that Law & Order (the original) might not get renewed by NBC this fall in light of declining ratings. As an aside: the network moved the show to Fridays at 10pm, not necessarily the hottest TV watching time. That may not matter however, because there are reports out today that TNT may pick up the show if NBC declines to. This makes sense since TNT is already basically branded with the show, airing somewhere around a score of eps a week (not counting the occasional holiday marathon).

Also, I think the cable outlet would be more willing to air new episodes in a more prestigious time slot then that to which NBC has relegated it as of late. In fact, imagine what a 1-2 punch an evening of The Closer followed by a new Law & Order (or vice versa) would pack. My only fear is that TNT might not have the budget to pay for the current cost of episodes (reportedly $4M per), thus the move from network to cable might mean a major cast shakeup; a proposition which may not be all that bad to some fans of the show.

I rely almost exclusively on TNT to watch L&O, so the change suggested suits me just fine. In fact, I would probably be more apt to watch first run episodes if they aired at a better time - maybe Tuesday nights - on TNT. My only request is that the network start incorporating earlier episodes of the series into their rotation of reruns. I've seen the pack of early '00s episodes so many times I'm beginning to speak in an Elisabeth Rohm inspired monotone.

An Amazing Race With A Disappointing Finish

I was a little disappointed with the outcome of last night's Amazing Race finale. The show itself was great, and the challenges exceedingly challenging. I especially loved the final Newlywed Game-type challenge where one team member needed to complete questions using a numbered list of possible answers. The answers formed a four-digit code that was used to lock an electronic safe holding the final clue. Then teammates switched and if the second team member came up with the same answers they could open the safe; if not they had ten excruciating minutes to keep trying, after which they were given the code and the clue. Only one team got out before the ten minute limit, and they went on to win the race.

That couple, and the root of my aforementioned disappointment: Danielle and Eric (aka Big Boobs and Sir Whines-A-Lot). To be fair, they were pretty decent competitors, overcoming several setbacks throughout the season. However, I just can't get past how much of a whiner Eric was whenever things didn't go his way, especially his ridiculously misguided feelings of betrayal after the yield episode a couple weeks back.

The other two teams in the top three were just as annoying in their own ways, so it was hard to really root for anyone. With the beauty queens being somewhat ethically challenged, I was kind of pulling for Charla and Mirna, despite their complete condescension to every foreigner they met.

I've written earlier that this was my first season watching this show. I'll be back when it returns. Not only for the show itself, but also for Josh Wolk's consistently hilarious recaps at EW.com. If you take the time to check them out, start with these two:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20037230,00.html
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036297,00.html

Losties Closer to Being Found? *UPDATE*

May 7th - It was made official today, Lost will finish up after another 48 episodes spread over 3 seasons, with an expected end-date of 2010. Do the math and you'll see that each season will be roughly 2/3 of a normal season order. My guess is this is due to some sort of compromise between the producers and the network that will allow the producers to get out around 120 eps and the network to milk the Lost cash-cow for as long as possible. More detail can be found here.

May 4th - Big news today from sources at E!Online. Looks like the suits at ABC might be set to announce a series end for Lost. Notice I said "end" rather than "end-date". Apparently there is no word as to how much longer the castaways will be stranded. Conventional wisdom seems to say two more seasons, however the producers have been quoted as saying they always saw it as a about a 100 episode show. If that's the case, then after this season there might only be around 35 new episodes before we find out what Smokey the Monster is all about (in a recent podcast the producers stated that that is one mystery that won't be solved 'til series end).

Even though Lost is my favorite show right now, I think this is great news, and as I've written before, this could possibly lead to a sea-change in how networks develop shows. Just think of all those great series whose excellence was diminished by having stayed on the air just a little too long. I truly believe that after a bumpy transition, green-lighting certain shows with defined ends in sight could really be a money maker for the networks. Read my earlier post for reasons why.

The announcement is expected sometime in the next week. In the meantime we can all relish in what a great episode "The Brig" was this week and look forward to what by all accounts sounds like an awesome season finale.

Not Exactly My "Brando" Documentary, But Good

Turner Classic Movies' profile of Marlon Brando is entertaining if not enlightening. To be sure, you get a sense of what helped shape this intriguing, iconic, and unique (to say the least) personality, but the film at times seems afraid to dig too deep and often changes direction. It sets out with an apparent intention to be a character study, but quickly turns into a somewhat superficial career retrospective.

Not that such a project shouldn't be a celebration. We're talking about someone who is arguably one of the greatest actors ever. The anecdotes shared by his friends and colleagues are great; touching, funny, and in some cases brutally honest. But too often the conversation drifts back to something close to sycophancy - one of the drawbacks of relying solely on interviews to provide the narration - which grows a little tired after two-and-a-half plus hours.

Despite all of this the film is filled with engaging moments throughout. Brando's rather extensive knowledge about the craft of film making (not just acting) is touched upon, as is his well-known reputation for being less than cooperative on-set. In addition to the public persona the film also explores the political side of Brando's fame. Learning about the breadth of Brando's activism, especially regarding civil rights, is eye opening. His support of American Indians is well known (and famously recorded in the 1973 Academy Awards ceremony), but it is interesting to learn he came "this close" to joining the Black Panthers in the late 60s. The insight gained regarding his relationship with his parents is equally fascinating, but again, every time the film gains steam with such topics it quickly changes gears.

For anyone interested in acting or film or even just pop-culture, this biography is required viewing, just make sure to watch it in parts. TCM is rebroadcasting the film in its entirety at 5:15pm on 5/12 and 3:15am on 5/29. The official website can be found here.

Some Sad News, Some Possibly Bad News, and Some Really Good News

First for the sad news. Tom Poston passed away Monday at the age of 85. Probably, best known for his role as George Utley on Newhart, Poston starred in countless television roles. Some may remember him as the cranky upstairs neighbor Mr. Bickley from Mork and Mindy. I remember seeing him most recently as a patient on ER. Take a look at his IMDB profile to get an idea of just how much stuff he was in.

And now the possibly bad news. Alec Baldwin, in a misguided attempt to make up for his indefensible tirade against his daughter, has decided he wants to leave 30 Rock to focus on divorced dad and "parental alienation" issues. (Note to Alec: It's probably a better idea to stick with what you are good at than to try and be the next Dr. Phil; forgiveness is for closers) Luckily the network doesn't appear to agree with his strategy and probably won't let him go just yet. Alessandra Stanley writes an impassioned plea for Baldwin to remain on 30 Rock, both for our sake and his.

Finally, some good news. As most everyone knows, Rosie is going bye-bye, at least for a time anyway. It will be so great to wake up everyone morning without having to hear about some stupid rant she went on during the previous day's broadcast of that stupid rant fest known as The View. Here's hoping her next TV project is a behind-the-scenes role so we don't have to see that creepy non-smile smile or hear that cheese-grater-on-a-chalkboard voice of hers anymore.