The Season Finale of Lost

Wow.

The photo, if you don't know, is of the 18th Century philosopher Jeremy Bentham.

Did I say Wow yet?

***

One more thing: The most ridiculous TV commercial in the history of American marketing aired during the finale. More on that later. And on the brilliant and absolutely 100 percent satisfying finale, too.

Dawn Wells' Thelma and Louise Moment

My favorite character on Gilligan's Island was Mary Jane ... er, I mean Mary Ann.

So I was sorry to hear that Dawn Wells recently was arrested for marijuana possession. But in the big picture of things, who cares? Marijuana should be legal, and do we really need to spend money on prosecutors and jail cells for people who like to play the bongos and spark one up every now and then? (Not that I play the bongos myself; I'm really "not musically inclined.")


But anyhow: The disturbing part of the story for me, and which creeps me out a little, is that she says she picked up three hitchhikers prior to the arrest. According to news reports, when the officer who pulled her over asked about a marijuana smell, Wells said she'd just given a ride to three hitchhikers and had dropped them off when they sparked it up.

I mean, who picks up hitchhikers (and three hitchhikers at that) nowadays?

I wonder if the hitchhikers looked like Brad Pitt?

Stephen Colbert: This Eagle Still Soars

Stephen Colbert has no writers. But have you noticed just how good, I mean GREAT, he has been since his return?

Last night he had on Andrew Young as a guest, and included the below filmed piece just before the interview. Unfortunately this clip doesn't include the clip intro or the interview with Young.

The Young interview included a discussion of the writer's strike and some Colbert family history. It was fascinating.

Here's a snippet from last night's show; here's hoping that Comedy Central doesn't have this pulled off YouTube. That would be a real shame.

Tickling Ivory and Funny Bones

“With just a single-page outline, a piano and a quick-witted personality, (Steve) Allen and a few friends would create nearly two hours of entertainment every night.”

Just a little something to think about during tonight's Leno monologue. That is, if you *really* are one of those people naive enough to believe that Leno isn't getting joke help from *somewhere.*

More here about the genius of Steve Allen.

Case Closed

Fred Thompson appeared on This Week With George Stephanopoulos this morning.

I liked him better on Law & Order.

Thonk-thunk.

Scratching the Seven-Year Itch

Last night was the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO. The plot revolved around a bar mitzvah, a gerbil and anal itching.

I won't reveal anything about the shocking final 30 seconds, other than to say it's been building to this point all season long, and it's an absolute howl.

An American Master

I can't put it any better. From today's Boston Globe:

By the end of "Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character," you'll want to give the actress a big fat hug. Not a pity hug, just a well-earned warm embrace. The newest installment of PBS's "American Masters" portrays both a hugely likable and versatile performer and a heroic lady whose personal life has thrown her some nasty punches. The Burnett you'll meet in this 90-minute documentary is an American master, for sure - of comedy, and also of survival.

Tonight on PBS.



Here's some more observations from the New York Times:

Pardon the imitation of the thoroughly unlikable Andy Rooney, but why aren’t our joke tellers likable anymore? Margaret Cho or Sarah Silverman might make you laugh, but would you want either of them at Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma and the kids?

Of course not. Ellen DeGeneres? Maybe. But the comedian you’d really want at the table, still, after all these years, is Carol Burnett, subject of tonight’s “American Masters” installment on PBS, subtitled “A Woman of Character.”

Democratic Candidates Open Saturday Night Live

... Including someone wearing a Barack Obama mask.



Speaking of SNL, Brian Williams did a nice job as host.

Saturday Night Live is REALLY Good This Year

I was 8 years old when Saturday Night Live first aired, and I've watched (more or less regularly) since the beginning. Since 1975, there have been some great years, some so-so years and some Charles-Rocket terrible years.

Based on the first episodes of 2007-2008 season, this year could shape up to be one of the great ones.

Really.

Speaking of really:

Fall

One of the characters in The Office is promising to be "30 percent more unpredictable" in the coming season. You can find out which one by watching this:

The Bourne Ultimatum: Everything But A Chicken Fight

... went to see The Bourne Ultimatum last week. Good movie, but one of the action-packed scenes made me laugh (unintentionally) because it reminded me of this:

Rabbit Season

Here's a new "Dharma Inititiative" video that recently hit the Internet, even though new episodes of Lost won't be airing until January. Apparently the video was released at some conference/panel discussion of the series.

Make of it what you will, but I think when the scientist screams "Don't let them touch each other," it's probably significant.

Emmy Nominations: The Schrute Buck Stops Here

Last September I wrote a post, "Great Buffoons in TV history," and mentioned that Rainn Wilson deserved an Emmy nomination for his work as Dwight Schrute on The Office.

So we are happy to note the good news that Wilson was nominated for an Emmy yesterday as best supporting actor in a comedy show.

Someone gives this guy a couple Schrute bucks -- and the Emmy.

***

Other miscellaneous Emmy notes:

* Kathy Griffin was nominated for best reality TV series for My Life on the D List. She's competing against Antiques Roadshow, which makes me laugh.
* A hilarious episode of The Office, "The Gay Witch Hunt," was nominated for outstanding writing and direction.
* Scrubs "My Musical," one of the best single episodes of TV comedy I think I've ever seen in any year, also was nominated for outstanding direction, as was the superb season finale of Lost.
* Ricky Gervais as Andy Millman (Extras) and Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy (30 Rock) both were nominated for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. (Without even mentioning the other great nominees, what a choice! I'd opt for Baldwin.)
* Both Michael Emerson as Ben and Terry O'Quinn as John Locke were nominated for outstanding supporting actor for Lost. But wherefore art thou Juliet?
* Top Chef and Project Runway both were nominated for outstanding reality-competition series. I'd give Runway the nod as Top Chef lost some flavor in its second season. Top Chef, while still entertaining and still on my Tivo, has become once extended product placement/commercial.
* If you look at all the variety nominations, you don't see Jay Leno much, eh? David Letterman once again was deservedly nominated for outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program; outstanding writing; and outstanding variety, music or comedy series. No Jay in any of these three categories.

Looks like the Dancing Itos can't save Jay this time.

Morning Question

Gays love, love, love The Bionic Woman. This is common knowledge. Here's my earlier post on this.

So in the new version airing on NBC this fall, why in the world would the network cast homophobe Isaiah Washington?

Buzz + Kill = Buzzkill. LINK

Coming Later Today: Emmy Nominations

In about 25 minutes Emmy nominations will be announced. Look for my thoughts later today.

It will be particularly interesting to see which actors from Lost get nominated. I hope that the characters of Locke, Ben, Juliet and Charlie are among the mix. Especially Juliet, played by Elizabeth Mitchell.

And if Lost isn't nominated for best dramatic series, for the second year in a row, we here at The Cup of Joe will be very disappointed.

A Peek Into the Future?

"In the Year 2000: George Bush will no longer be referred to as America's dumbest president, but rather as America's most successful retard."
-- Conan O'Brien

Happy Days For Fall TV

COMING THIS FALL: the great Norman Lear is producing a one-hour TV show for NBC, and the great Jerry Seinfeld is returning to a network TV comedy show.

Read more here.

And in what sounds like a truly awful idea, the tired (and previously canceled) reality show The Apprentice (which became a parody of itself with all its product placement plugs happily shilled by annoyingly obsequious contestants who couldn't opine enough glowing comments about "Mr. Trump," who is, by the way, "amazing") will be returning with ... a celebrity cast?

I need your help in the comments. I'm accepting nominations for washed up celebrity contestants to appear with Donald Trump on the celebrity version of The Apprentice. Let me start by throwing out VIKI the robot from Small Wonder and Potsie from Happy Days.

Potsie and Viki, you're hired!

Amber Waves

"Amber" was nominated for eviction on tonight's episode of Big Brother 8 on CBS. Here's how she put the news in perspective:

I feel like being on the block -- [starts crying] I'm sorry -- is a gift from Him. I feel that God put me on the block as a gift to prepare me for long-term things. I think this is just His way of making me stronger.

Later, she added:

I really feel God is on my side; I think He is going to do the right thing.

Now, Amber seems nice enough. But please, America, repeat after me:

1) God doesn't care who wins the Super Bowl.
2) God doesn't care how much money you give to televangelists.
3) God doesn't care who gets evicted from Big Brother 8 on CBS. In fact, I'm fairly certain it's not even on his (or her) Tivo list.

***

7 More Days Until Mid-Life Crisis is Televised

Next Sunday is the premiere of VH1's newest reality show, Scott Baio is 45 ... and Single, in which the commitment phobic Baio tries to charge up his love life by finding his real-life Joanie. This is the way the show is described on the VH1 Website:

Over the past 25 years, Scott Baio has lived a life that all red-blooded American males' would sell their big screen TV, car and soul for, boasting a jaw-dropping roster of erotic ex's that would even make Warren Beatty blush. This extensive line-up of Hollywood honeys include: Heather Locklear, Pam Anderson, Denise Richards and Nicolette Sheridan.

But now, staring down the barrel of middle age, Scott has come to the end of his philandering rope. At 45, he finds himself at a mid-life crisis of mythic proportions, wondering why he's still single, alone and still unable to settle down and commit to a substantial, meaningful relationship.

With nowhere else to turn, Scott has decided to fully surrender the next eight weeks of his life to a highly-regarded life-coach. This person will guide him on a grueling, soul-searching mission; forcing him to confront a laundry list of old flames in order to hopefully get to the heart of his lonely heart condition.

Each episode, he will have to confront another chapter from his semi-sordid past, by actually reconnecting with some of his most substantial and combustible flames in order to get the bottom of his bad-boy behavior.

With the help of his long-time pals, Scott will be able to successfully sift through the wreckage of his past, and endure an assortment of life-altering activities, (including abstinence), in order to finally earn the chance at actually maintaining a meaningful, stable, healthy relationship.

Well, I'm not 45 years old, not yet, but one thing I have learned is that ... people don't change.

Gonorrhea and Big Brother 8: When Exes Attack

Big Brother 8 aired for the first time Thursday night on CBS, and two gay men who had a bitter breakup were reunited, unexpectedly, as "houseguests" for perhaps all summer. Oy.

The one guy, Dustin, called his ex a habitual lyer with nipples the size of pepperonis, while the other guy, Joe, accused his ex on national TV of giving him gonorrhea. Oy.

And by "Oy" I really mean "this is good TV."

To explain this vituperative behavior, what other evil deeds did these two inflict on each other? Did Joe steal Dustin's dance space on the box at Berlin during Madonna night? Was Dustin sneaking around on Joe by singing Sunday showtunes with other men at Sidetrack? I guess we'll find out.

So I have a question for Chicago readers/Big Brother watchers or other people whose name might be Johnboy and who just moved from Chicago: Which of these two is most likely to take bitchiness to Defcon 1?

Here's one blogger's take on it. He's not kind to Joe, and after one episode, I tend to agree.

... I just hope that both Dustin and Joe remember that, more often than not, you are what you hate.

***