tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161494082024-03-13T12:06:04.043-05:00The BlogulatorBecause our (TV) opinions are valid.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.comBlogger1274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-85638472537839618582018-08-30T21:34:00.004-05:002018-08-30T21:34:56.333-05:00Whatever happened to the age of blogs?It's like they just up and disappeared over night. Social media? Doesn't feel <i>too</i> social to me!<br />
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Let's bring it back one post at a time!<br />
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Tell me about your new favorite addiction of a show (or movie!) in the comments.<br />
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xoxo,<br />
SeanSeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17326065051219828481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-14544546226280805042012-12-12T09:43:00.000-06:002012-12-12T09:44:38.348-06:00Blogulator Radio 80: Santa Klaus Is Coming To Town: A Vampire Diaries Roundtable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw_lZEErDmS8ZZiQOVh6hTOWdSZZFGVzbtjApFHaBFW2PDJxFHos7itdT9rSwA4lFcwp9QOEIbhXp3_agSKRbn-rrXbqUcCI8TofxCyiEkC_w9XeFRR-XNPu9jzyhvKYoxv-q/s1600/untitled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw_lZEErDmS8ZZiQOVh6hTOWdSZZFGVzbtjApFHaBFW2PDJxFHos7itdT9rSwA4lFcwp9QOEIbhXp3_agSKRbn-rrXbqUcCI8TofxCyiEkC_w9XeFRR-XNPu9jzyhvKYoxv-q/s320/untitled.JPG" width="320" /></center></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-80-santa-klaus-is-coming-to-town-a-vampire-diaries-roundtable/#more-5771">C<span style="font-family: inherit;">lick here for an important discussion on vampire zombies / zombie vampires.</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Qualler and Brigitte invite <a href="http://www.avclub.com/users/carrie-raisler,77153/">The AV Club's Carrie Raisler</a> (<a href="http://twitter.com/TVandDinners">@TVandDinners</a>) and Blogulator correspondent Chris Castro (</span><a href="http://twitter.com/sarccastro" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">@sarCCastro</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">) to talk about all things season four of CW's stalwart series </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">The Vampire Diaries</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. The four of them discuss such relevant topics like: Whoa, Jeremy's looking pretty jacked lately--has he been working out? Why can't Bonnie stop being a walking plot device? We haven't seen Klaus lately--could he be the real Santa (K)laus? They also talk about more specific plot-related things like, why can't the writers of the show just let Damon & Elena's budding relationship develop? Why must they constantly tell us that them dating is a bad thing? Sire-bonding? Come on. Seriously. Also, why is all of this love triangle stuff so strongly overshadowing the relatively well-constructed "main" arc of the season involving the totally-not-shady-but-yes-</span><wbr style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">shady Professor Shane? Will "the experience" mean there will finally be zombies on the show? What would a zombie vampire be like? If a zombie bit a vampire, what would it turn into, and vice versa? We tackle all of these topics and more in our hour-long Vampire Diaries roundtable. Enjoy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 22.393938064575195px;">Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. </span><a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix" style="background-color: white; color: #cc3300; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 22.393938064575195px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial;">Start your free two week trial today</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 22.393938064575195px;"> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via </span><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188" style="background-color: white; color: #cc3300; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 22.393938064575195px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial;">iTunes</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 22.393938064575195px;"> or </span><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed" style="background-color: white; color: #cc3300; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 22.393938064575195px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial;">RSS</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-5880087433717898412012-11-21T12:09:00.000-06:002012-11-21T12:10:02.504-06:00Blogulator Radio 77: American Horror Story: Asylum: The Netcast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQDSh5sk6jXgArS2shyc92dIUKATmAzfNz7vXZQnzgM3mhKw9b_vgdrPKw_-8ywl2msiHL6kFHxqxwolxf1F_E5T3xE8GXdD4aG7F6SWOwYuic1AXQisv54FgJ5qsCGRZ7KI6/s1600/spookyspookspook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQDSh5sk6jXgArS2shyc92dIUKATmAzfNz7vXZQnzgM3mhKw9b_vgdrPKw_-8ywl2msiHL6kFHxqxwolxf1F_E5T3xE8GXdD4aG7F6SWOwYuic1AXQisv54FgJ5qsCGRZ7KI6/s320/spookyspookspook.jpg" width="320" /> </a></center>
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-77-american-horror-story-asylum-the-netcast/">Click here for really scary, horrifying thoughts on the scariest show of all scary things, <i>American Horror Story</i>. </a></center>
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Qualler takes a break this week (though not from writing
this blurb! Huzzah!) while battling a nasty flu virus that is probably
somehow (executive producer) Ryan Murphy's fault, while Brigitte holds
down the fort with guest co-host, TimTam. This week's topic is the
second season of FX's horror anthology <i>American Horror Story</i> which,
surprisingly, is much more coherent than the first season of said show.
As one can guess, this season takes place in an Asylum (cuz it says so
in the title!) and there are annoying things, like prisoners whose names
are things like "Grace" (symbolism!) and serial killers named "Bloody
Face" (cuz that's scary!) but there are also some genuinely
bone-chilling parts, too, and some things that actually hint at some
actual depth beyond "Hey, I'm Ryan Murphy and I'm gonna throw a bunch of
crap at the wall and see what sticks". And okay there is probably one
too many elements thrown at said wall (like the alien abduction angle,
although I'm a sucker for alien abductions in general.) But that is not
the duty of this writer to critique, since this writer sat out this
episode. Listen to Brigitte and TimTam's take on the season that is so
far of <i>American Horror Story</i>. (Take note: <a href="https://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/American_Horror_Story/70210884?locale=en-US" target="_blank">you can watch all of season one on Netflix, which has made the first season available on its streaming service as of today.)</a></div>
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can
stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many
other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and
help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all
up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a><i style="text-align: center;"><br /></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-36737893077127944732012-11-13T10:28:00.003-06:002012-11-13T10:30:38.815-06:00Blogulator Radio 76: Post Election Blues<div>
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<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW78NvblwxP-PufJ7pQiuP3Ae3OS2DI3PWOl_EmLim0_BOaZd_fvsZe8JC0QcMuWiYTD6uHV1Xa0WmO7yfrzr8HcT2-V3aGVIZYD6QQK2fQJfkqQM2zLDH2m9ZyhvPWzQQeZb/s1600/120806mag-newsroom1_300x206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW78NvblwxP-PufJ7pQiuP3Ae3OS2DI3PWOl_EmLim0_BOaZd_fvsZe8JC0QcMuWiYTD6uHV1Xa0WmO7yfrzr8HcT2-V3aGVIZYD6QQK2fQJfkqQM2zLDH2m9ZyhvPWzQQeZb/s1600/120806mag-newsroom1_300x206.jpg" /></center></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-76-post-election-blues/">Click here for the latest meandering, self-important, predictable episode of <i>The Newsroom. </i>Stay for the new episode of Blogulator Radio.</a></div>
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It's been a rough comedown from the hoopla of last week's election, but
Qualler and Brigitte are here to brighten your days with an all-new
episode of Blogulator Radio. The crack research team at
TheBlogulator.com has been working tirelessly to bring you the election
news you need, and in their research, unearthed an unfinished script(*)
for an election day episode of HBO's <i>The Newsroom</i> by Aaron
Sorkin, which Qualler and Brigitte read for your enjoyment. They also
give their general thoughts on the progress of season seven of <i>Dexter</i> and have some opinions on ABC's new sorta-good-in-a-on-the-<wbr></wbr>background kind of way, <i>Nashville</i>.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">(*)</span><i style="text-align: center;">Not really written by Aaron Sorkin. Thanks, <a href="http://twitter.com/professorscraps" target="_blank">@ProfessorScraps</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/sarCCastro" target="_blank">@sarCCastro</a>.</i><br />
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a><i style="text-align: center;"><br /></i>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-69896023209710199262012-11-03T21:35:00.000-05:002012-11-03T21:35:43.468-05:00Blogulator Radio 74 & 75: Shippin' Parenthood & Robot Prejudice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdZ27jJO2jxo6n_RbDI7LaMqMcczFmx16Q0zaUaqj8FrJfyYBp4xTXCoyIFPMVrkTCrZIuCC7BOByoZr86t_BLMxEyJXiR6DweWQZiWWnstr1ulfL6kHZjYQO1yLiKCGmw6g4xw/s1600/parenthood_season_4_family_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdZ27jJO2jxo6n_RbDI7LaMqMcczFmx16Q0zaUaqj8FrJfyYBp4xTXCoyIFPMVrkTCrZIuCC7BOByoZr86t_BLMxEyJXiR6DweWQZiWWnstr1ulfL6kHZjYQO1yLiKCGmw6g4xw/s320/parenthood_season_4_family_portrait.jpg" width="320" /></a></center></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-74-parenthood-shippin/">Episode 74 of the netcast features Qualler and Brigitte<br />giving you an update on the progress of NBC's fourth season of <br />everyone's favorite inconsequential family drama, Parenthood.</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-75-robot-prejudice/">Episode 75 of Blogulator Radio offers up Chris and Jerksica's<br />great debate on the multi-cam vs. the single-cam sitcom on the<br />heels of the news that Up All Night will be turning multi-cam,as <br />well as a guessing game about shows in development<br />that may or may not involve Atticus Finch defending robots.</a></i></span></div>
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It's been a few weeks since we've updated this here blog. Sowwy. Above you will find links to the latest episodes of the Blogulator Radio netcast, courtesy of the Fancy Pants Gangsters netcast network. And as always:</div>
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a>.</div>
chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-7671836558563818612012-10-18T23:27:00.000-05:002012-10-18T23:27:33.309-05:00Blogulator Radio 73: Mental Gasps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWWeYb_YVJ-NxvwxZreDLC8yXNXz8RY1rlYd8E0MftWWvA9XwzdfwcdRnQ3ro6z3RyW871bR4IsmOnDUKWgN_o7F5KGvaY53tB3Lj5HfDAmO7R7yhIlqrcLVrCMQ9LAMJiaP1ng/s1600/tumblr_mbprxrPBiR1qa5pjpo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWWeYb_YVJ-NxvwxZreDLC8yXNXz8RY1rlYd8E0MftWWvA9XwzdfwcdRnQ3ro6z3RyW871bR4IsmOnDUKWgN_o7F5KGvaY53tB3Lj5HfDAmO7R7yhIlqrcLVrCMQ9LAMJiaP1ng/s320/tumblr_mbprxrPBiR1qa5pjpo1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></center></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-73-mental-gasps/">Click here to witness a very sleep-deprived married couple<br />try to speak coherently about a bunch of new TV shows they<br />watched recently.</a></i></span></div>
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It's pilot season! And because Chris and Jerksica like to binge on both television and judging, they have watched nearly a dozen new shows that have aired on the major networks so far this fall and would like to share their opinions about them with you. There are three sitcoms they both genuinely like that they've discussed already and check back in on a few episodes into their debut seasons (including FOX's <i>The Mindy Project</i> at the top of their list), an unfortunate handful that neither Chris nor Jerksica have any affection for (such as NBC's confusingly lauded <i>Revolution</i>, the dreadful Ryan Murphy "comedy" <i>The New Normal</i>, and much more), and finally a number of shows they disagree on. There's some that Jerksica enjoys much to the bewilderment of Chris (*cough cough* <i>Animal Practice</i>) and some that Chris is a sucker for despite Jerksica's constant eye-rolling (like the ABC dramas <i>Nashville</i> and <i>Last Resort</i>). And last but not least they check in on some of their favorite returning shows that have premiered recently, especially NBC's <i>Parks & Recreation</i> and the surprisingly well-retooled <i>New Girl</i> and <i>Up All Night</i>. So yes, there is a lot going on here. Buckle up.<br />
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0:00-12:33 New Shows Chris & Jerksica Like<br />
12:33-27:57 New Shows Chris & Jerksica Dislike<br />
27:57-39:12 New Shows Upon Which Chris & Jerksica Have Mixed Opinions<br />
39:12-50:25 Returning Shows Chris & Jerksica Like<br />
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a>chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-40055893446655477552012-10-10T18:56:00.003-05:002012-10-10T18:56:54.490-05:00Blogulator Radio 72: Darkly Dreaming Dexter Not Sucking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekaMjz8bij1GlPffPIIhjU-SKZ09zW9lwWyVj2uOp0ODuBSDMu2FvUIGZWoQ6GJjbBHzuGlLRc3F1oCmxi7ukUhygVG7-16yj9zmks278rafJqYCcz8EtrjxWvRNVduETBOI-/s1600/dexxydexdex.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekaMjz8bij1GlPffPIIhjU-SKZ09zW9lwWyVj2uOp0ODuBSDMu2FvUIGZWoQ6GJjbBHzuGlLRc3F1oCmxi7ukUhygVG7-16yj9zmks278rafJqYCcz8EtrjxWvRNVduETBOI-/s320/dexxydexdex.jpeg" width="320" /></a></center>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/blog/blogulator-radio-episode-72-darkly-dreaming-dexter-not-sucking/"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/blog/blogulator-radio-episode-72-darkly-dreaming-dexter-not-sucking/"><i>Click here to listen to the latest episode of Blogulator Radio. Hammy voiceover discussing the obvious subtext of the things happening onscreen not included.</i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It has been four full seasons of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Dexter</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> since the show has made Qualler ever just </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">feel</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> something, you know? Which is why it is such a great joy to report that the seventh season of the smash hit on Showtime has done that to him. In the latest episode of Blogulator Radio, Brigitte and Qualler discuss what's right about the new season, what things are still a little bit wishy-washy, why they have felt wary of the show since season three, and talk through their feelings about it the way Deb and Dexter talk through their stuff in a surprisingly mature fashion that doesn't make you want to hurtle stuff at your TV. So yes, check it out.</span></span><br />
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-30529371760755239442012-10-02T22:13:00.001-05:002012-10-02T22:13:56.079-05:00Blogulator Radio 71: Two Dudes Talking About Homeland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-j4BeyBtB0P8Xhv7efEiyxuoNE-ikRKGEaTnKC9jAcb2L7dp9QSOd1g0Gi-mYJIUe654zx718SR84fDqeowx-5aGzlYrRyxnbP8pkUrqG-RqPiltOuZmImOy2EeivbYeYtoT/s1600/danes-homeland-smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-j4BeyBtB0P8Xhv7efEiyxuoNE-ikRKGEaTnKC9jAcb2L7dp9QSOd1g0Gi-mYJIUe654zx718SR84fDqeowx-5aGzlYrRyxnbP8pkUrqG-RqPiltOuZmImOy2EeivbYeYtoT/s1600/danes-homeland-smile.jpg" /></center></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-71-two-dudes-talking-about-homeland/"><i>Click here to check out the newest, most manly episode of Blogulator Radio yet. </i></a></div>
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It's a new episode of Blogulator Radio where Chris and Qualler, manly
dudes that they are, insert some dudely dude talk into the most dudely
show on television this side of <i>Strike Back</i>, Showtime's Emmy-award winning <i>Homeland</i>.
Yes, they discuss Sunday night's season two premiere, make some
predictions about what will happen throughout the season, talk about the
short-term and long-term viability of the show, and, since they do it
without any chicks involved, do their best to rank the show within the
structure of their favorite totally heteronormative hierarchical scales.
Cuz, that is what white dudes who are totally dudely do when they talk
about anything, especially the show that oozes more testosterone per
second than an entire episode of <i>WWE Raw</i>. Seriously, though, they do discuss the very excellent show for the entire episode, so dig in, smile, and enjoy!<br />
<br />
Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can
stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many
other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a>
and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates
all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a>. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-11185938320520026832012-09-25T19:46:00.000-05:002012-09-25T19:46:57.709-05:00Blogulator Radio 70 - "Damian Lewis's Face"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOELSX-ud5NP4ZKknOajc9A0sEtTiuT3ivxqZbtyVDv_FH_ejosVZXnJomU7Tbucns-7deIeQAn01CkBNRIt1pwWEru44-TBQnYaSklE5twDZyziO1A2d1Vjn8RizhhQd-9k80pw/s1600/julia-louis-dreyfus-reads-amy-poehler-s-acceptance-speech-at-2012-emmy-awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOELSX-ud5NP4ZKknOajc9A0sEtTiuT3ivxqZbtyVDv_FH_ejosVZXnJomU7Tbucns-7deIeQAn01CkBNRIt1pwWEru44-TBQnYaSklE5twDZyziO1A2d1Vjn8RizhhQd-9k80pw/s320/julia-louis-dreyfus-reads-amy-poehler-s-acceptance-speech-at-2012-emmy-awards.jpg" width="320" /></a></center></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-70-damien-lewiss-face/">Click here to find out why Amy Poehler and Julia Louis-<br />Dreyfus are awesome. Also, why Damian Lewis's face is important.</a></i></span></div>
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Chris and Jerksica semi-reluctantly watched the Emmys this week, along with the rest of the TV-loving world. And also like the rest of the TV-loving world, they have some opinions about it. They discuss the competency of the broadcast itself, some un-televised awards they care about because they're nerds (Best Main Title Theme or Best Main Title Design anyone?), and you know, who won (yay for <i>Homeland</i>! boo for <i>Modern Family</i>!) and who got snubbed (sob! sob! for <i>Parks & Recreation</i> and <i>Community</i>!). It's what you've come to expect from an awards round-up netcast, but with at least 70% more talk about Damian Lewis's large and discomforting face.
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a>.chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-74993878333564757712012-09-24T08:40:00.000-05:002012-09-24T08:40:23.375-05:00Quick Hits: The 64th Annual Emmys / Feeling Shamed That We Are "Only TV" And Not Movies Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Emmys were last night! It was a glorious night to celebrate all that is right with television. Like Jon Cryer of television's most beloved comedy, <i>Two and a Half Men</i>. Also, such megastars of film who were gracious enough to slum it on television, like Julianne Moore of HBO's <i>Game Change</i> and Kevin Costner of <i>Hatfield & McCoys</i> miniseries, which is also a genre of television that is universally beloved.<br />
<br />Seriously, though, I don't get why the Emmys spend so much friggin' time on miniseries and movies these days, especially considering other nominees like <i>American Horror Story</i>, <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, and <i>Luther </i>are only nominated in that category on account of making it in by squeezing said series into that category due to rule technicalities. (Even though other series that could have made it in on the rule technicalities and had a legitimate reason to do so, like <i>Luck</i> from HBO, were not even nominated.)<br />
<br />Anyway, here were some other thoughts of mine on the television industry's annual reminder that people in the industry shouldn't judge shows in the industry (unless they are in agreement with me, of course!) Chris and Jerksica will have a lot more tomorrow in netcast form, but here are my written thoughts.<br />
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<b><i>(HOMELAND</i> SPOILERS AHEAD. CAUTION.</b>)<br />
<ul>
<li>Wow, I'm remarkably pleased with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis sweeping the acting categories. Danes was a shoe-in, but Lewis' was much more nuanced and thus, I felt like he had less of a chance to pick up the acting. But we all know that when the Emmys decide something, they're gonna probably decide it for a long time.</li>
<li>That said, although the more I think about <i>Homeland's </i>first season being something of a perfect season of television, the more I wish it were set up as a one-season show. For one: the actual perfect ending to season one clearly would have been Tom Walker shooting Brody in the alley. Bam, terrorists still win the day in the end, Carrie Matheson still solves the terrorist quagmire (but still gets her memory wiped out, y'know, cuz of the patriarchy), we win but, ultimately, we lose. Instead, because of Showtime's record of running their valuable properties to the ground (a la <i>Dexter</i> and <i>Weeds</i>), we have no reason not to believe that this series peaked in its first season and, four more years down the road, will still be trotting Danes and Lewis out for a fifth season where they both keep Narrowly Avoiding Big Things Happening. I want to be optimistic about what happens creatively on this show in the future, but I just don't know.</li>
<li>Haha, suck it, <i>Mad Men</i>! 0 for 17! </li>
<li>I'm so glad I didn't actually watch the Emmys live until the end, because man, Jimmy Kimmel is not a funny guy.</li>
<li>Oh yeah, <i>Modern Family</i> won again. It's starting to approach <i>Frasier</i> territory in terms of predictability of winning series awards, except that <i>Frasier</i> was a lot funnier. <i>Modern Family</i> is fine, though, and it could be worse, I guess. Even though, like our friend Carrie Raisler pointed out last night, I could name a lot of shows off the top of my head that are better comedies than <i>Modern Family</i>. (<i>Girls</i>, <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>, <i>Archer</i>, <i>Louie</i>, <i>Parks & Recreation</i>, <i>Community</i>, <i>30 Rock</i>, <i>Awkward, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia</i>, etc.)</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigolos"><i>Gigolos</i></a> was not nominated for a single Emmy. Now, that is a real shame.</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-918466378033222202012-09-19T07:37:00.000-05:002012-09-19T07:39:24.044-05:00Blogulator Radio 69: It's a Treat To Break This Bad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-69-its-a-treat-to-break-this-bad/">Click here for a real...wait for it..."treat" of an episode. #groan </a></div>
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In what is sure to be the final installment of Bad Title Puns About Breaking Bad<span id="more-5561"></span>,
at least for 2012, Qualler, Brigitte and Chris discuss the finale of
season 5.1 of the mega-awesome AMC drama. Within the discussion, the
dynamic trio make connections to <i><b style="font-weight: normal;">The Sopranos</b></i>,
Kirkegaard, and Treat Williams (because, hey, remember Treat Wiliams?)
The gang also keep referencing a fabled “lost” episode of BR that was
recorded directly before recording this one. If you ever run into that
episode somewhere on the internet, let us know, mmmkay? Anyway, this
week’s episode is heavy on Breaking Bad spoilers and touches upon The
Sopranos in general, non-specific spoiler ways, so be forewarned.<br />
<br />
Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can
stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many
other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. Start your <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix" target="_blank">free two week trial</a> today
and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates
all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed" target="_blank">RSS</a>.<br />
<br />
Being a modern show for modern people, we’ve got all sorts of ways to find us online. We’ve got your <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blogulator-Radio/175824269128834" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and your <a href="http://www.twitter.com/BlogulatorRadio" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and your <a href="https://plus.google.com/107602105865883408923" target="_blank">Google+</a>. Of course we always welcome comments or questions either in the comments below or through email at <a href="mailto:bradio@fancypantsgangsters.com" target="_blank">bradio@fancypantsgangsters.com</a>. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-63838648790406344762012-09-07T12:16:00.000-05:002012-09-07T12:24:05.939-05:00Doctor Who: Your Next Favorite Show<br />
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Trying to explain to my non-nerdy friends why <i>Doctor Who</i> is probably the greatest show on television is a challenge because its premise is so overtly sci-fi—the last of the Time Lords travels through time and space with a female companion (and sometimes her boyfriend), having adventures, saving the world, and exploring what it means to be human. I find myself saying, using the same language as Friday Night Lights fans, “But it’s not about time travel! It’s about the triumph of the human spirit!”<br />
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It’s hard, I know, to get past the show’s overabundance of esoteric wibbledy-wobbledy time-wimey...stuff. The Doctor can reincarnate as different actors, for example, and the series currently airing is a reboot of a show from the 1960s, so the three doctors of this iteration are technically the 9th Doctor (Chris Ecclestein), the 10th Doctor (David Tenant) and the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith). The companions also come and go, too which can be sort of confusing: there's Rose (the sweetheart) and her boyfriend, Mickey (the bro); Martha (the not-Rose); Donna (the misfit); and Amelia (the other sweetheart) and her husband, Rory (the dope). But that’s all you need to know! That’s it! Everything else gets explained in the show, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter! Because as I’ve explained before, it’s not about the technicalities and pseudo-science. It’s about humanity! WATCH IT.<br />
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If you still aren’t ready to make the commitment, I’ve put together a list of some of the most important episodes. I’m not going to say that you should only watch these episodes because obviously you should watch ALL OF THE EPISODES but these will give you a pretty good idea of the best and worst of Doctor Who.<br />
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<b>First Episode Where It Gets Really Good: Season 2: Episode 4:“The Girl in The Fireplace”</b></div>
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Okay, so the first season is pretty universally agreed to be not great. The 9th Doctor lacks the intensity and charm of the 10th doctor and the boyish enthusiasm of the 11th, and the first season never really gets away from cheese and camp. This episode marks the beginning of the show’s maturation. Rose is at her best—confident, witty, and independent—and David Tennant’s 10th Doctor begins to show his emotional volatility and his disregard for the consequences his lifestyle has on the lives of those he touches. After a first season of run-ins with campy aliens more flatulent than frightening (literally, there are farting aliens), the clockwork villains in this episode are both imaginative and creepy. And as a final mark of the show’s step away from frivolous camp, this is the first episode to explore the consequences of the Doctor’s time travelling; if time is inconsequential to him, how do his actions affect those for whom time is inescapable?<br />
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<b>The Worst Episode: Season 2—Episode 10: “Love & Monsters”</b></div>
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This episode aired after one of the most intense, brilliantly written episodes of the whole series, and it’s just THE WORST. It starts off following this adorably British guy named Elton who gets involved with this group of people who are trying to find the Doctor, but mostly end up being friends and starting an Electronic Light Orchestra cover band. So then this alien enters the scene and BLAH BLAH BLAH it’s awful, but in the end, Elton’s girlfriend becomes a sentient slab of concrete with just a face. They make a joke about their sex life. It’s uncomfortable. The whole episode is campy and episodic and a throwback to the not-terribly intelligent episodes that started the series. There may be worse episodes in the first season, but it’s the disappointment after coming down from such an amazingly complex episode that makes this one such a stinker.<br />
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<b>The Best Episode: Season 3—Episode 10: “Blink”</b></div>
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It’s hard to describe how terrifying this episode is because, in true Whovian fashion, the description of it sounds really stupid. The episode stars Carrie Mulligan (Carrie Mulligan, you guys!) as a video shop clerk who keeps uncovering strange messages from a mysterious man warning her that she’s in danger. She works to uncover the mystery ploddingly, but eventually discovers that she’s being pursued by an ancient race of aliens called the “Weeping Angels” which appear as statues but advance toward you as soon as you stop looking at them. I KNOW IT SOUNDS STUPID BUT IT’S TERRIFYING!! The episode demonstrates a central conceit of Doctor Who—the mundane and unavoidable suddenly become a source of great danger—and the episode plays out like the best and most suspenseful Hitchcock. If you only watch one episode of Doctor Who, make it this one; you won’t be able to stop.<br />
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<b>Saddest Episode: Season 4—Episode 13: “Journey’s End”</b></div>
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Remember how in <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>, they FINALLY get to Earth and they’re all happy and celebrating and then at the end they’re all standing on the desolate, radioactive beaches, and staring mournfully into the cloudy sky? Take the feeling you felt watching that and multiply it by a million and you’ll know what it is to watch “Journey’s End.” This is the last episode for the Doctor’s most misfit companion, Donna, played by the brilliant comedienne, Catherine Tate. Donna is sarcastic, biting, outspoken, and loud, but painfully insecure. Despite being exactly what the emotionally complex 10th Doctor needs, Donna is never convinced that she is clever enough to be his companion. At the end of her run in the show, Donna is not only given the opportunity to become infinitely intelligent, but she also gets to see herself the way the Doctor sees her: as a wonderful, capable human being, worthy of love and respect. AND THEN IT ALL GETS RIPPED AWAY IN A TERRIBLE MOMENT OF TRAGIC IRONY. You’ll need, like, eight boxes of tissues.</div>
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<b>Scariest Villians: The Silence: End of Season 5/Beginning of Season 6</b></div>
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Picture this: You’re just living your life, making dinner, chopping up some onions at your kitchen counter, maybe listening to some Pandora and singing quietly. You turn around to grab something out of the fridge and BAM! there’s a 7-foot-tall vaguely human creature wearing a suit and standing in your kitchen. This creature looks at you, instructs you to kill yourself, then tells you to turn around. The second you take your eyes off of it, you immediately forget its existence while it still lurks behind you, but subconsciously pour rat poison in your soup. (That was a terrible example, sorry.) Could you imagine what a menacing threat such a species could pose? It could be standing behind you constantly, at work, at school, in your bedroom, in your car, and you would never know. They could exist in the White House, in the offices of business leaders, in the homes of our friends and families, dictating the course of human affairs for—what? years? decades? centuries? The storyline involving the Silence is masterfully written and composed, and it’s some of the creepiest, scariest television you’ll ever watch.Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13154223655475952539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-11565334837249319832012-09-05T21:38:00.000-05:002012-09-05T21:38:27.729-05:00Blogulator Radio 68: No Active Hate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-68-no-active-hate/"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Chris and Jerksica don't actively hate FOX's two new sitcoms.<br />In fact, they kinda like 'em. Click here to hear why.</span></i></a></div>
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Returning from the chaos of a new school year starting, Chris and Jerksica continue to wade through the barrage of network pilot previews available for the new fall season. FOX has released the first episodes of their two new flagship sitcoms <i>The Mindy Project </i>(featuring <i>The Office</i>'s Mindy Kaling) and <i>Ben & Kate</i> (featuring Oscar winner Nat Faxon) on various On Demand platforms (check your local cable provider or <a href="http://hulu.com/">Hulu</a>) and Chris and Jerksica...don't actively hate them. In fact, they both might even have promise. Is FOX's Tuesday night going to be the new NBC Thursday night? They also look back into the past and talk <i>Scrubs</i>, a show they once hated but have grown to love since it went off the air. It's their Netflix Pick o' the Week. And lastly, TV news bits of note include shows in development revolving around Michael J. Fox, director Jodie Foster, and a reboot of Eddie Murphy's adventures of Axel Foley.<br />
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0:00-20:50 <i>The Mindy Project</i> and <i>Ben & Kate</i><br />
20:50-27:22 Netflix Pick o' the Week: <i>Scrubs </i><br />
27:22-42:36 TV News: <i>S.H.I.E.L.D.</i>, Michael J. Fox sitcom, Showtime's "Female <i>Sopranos</i>", <i>Beverly Hills Cop</i> procedural<br />
<br />
Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">Start your free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a>.chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-78705044786203191262012-08-23T15:15:00.000-05:002012-08-23T15:17:34.499-05:00Blogulator Radio 67: Breaking Bits and Boardwalks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-67-breaking-bits-and-boardwalks/#more-5507">Click here to be transported to a magical world of wonderful things that exist in Atlantic City, which are not at all less glamorous than they first appear.</a></div>
In this week’s episode of Blogulator Radio, Qualler and Brigitte attempt and flail at a few “bits” that they flailed wildly at,
because they remember a time when they thought they were going to be
performers on <i>Saturday Night Live</i> like their favorite castmember, Dana
Carvey (seriously, they both love Dana Carvey, but this episode is not
about Dana Carvey sadly, but we digress.) Nevertheless, they get some
good TV talk in, manage to remind listeners to check out the latest
episode of The Voice Behind featuring Nicholas Briggs, the voice of the
Daleks on <i>Doctor Who</i>, and get into discussion of the following topics:<br />
<br />
0:00-3:15 – Bickering over what the topics are of the day<br />
3:15-4:45 – Making fun of <i>The Newsroom</i><br />
4:45-21:15 – <i>Breaking Bad</i>, season five, episodes five and six<br />
21:15-22:15 – Being incredulous about the fact that ESPN creepily shows the Little League World Series<br />
22:15-23:15 – <i>Breaking Bad</i> bit — Brigitte as Jesse/Skylar, Qualler as Walt<br />
23:15-45:30 – <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> bit, then talking about the first season<br />
45:30-1:02 – Weekend Comfort Food, like <i>CBS Sunday Morning</i> and <i>Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Miami Dolphins</i><br />
<br />
Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can
stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many
other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. Start your <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix" target="_blank">free two week trial</a> today
and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates
all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed" target="_blank">RSS</a>.<br />
<br />
Being a modern show for modern people, we’ve got all sorts of ways to find us online. We’ve got your <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blogulator-Radio/175824269128834" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and your <a href="http://www.twitter.com/BlogulatorRadio" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and your <a href="https://plus.google.com/107602105865883408923" target="_blank">Google+</a>. Of course we always welcome comments or questions either in the comments below or through email at <a href="mailto:bradio@fancypantsgangsters.com" target="_blank">bradio@fancypantsgangsters.com</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-88596945212764483042012-08-15T08:56:00.001-05:002012-08-15T08:56:21.871-05:00Catching Up: Boardwalk Empire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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HBO's <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> is a show that, on paper, has all the makings of a Great Drama. Its central premise revolves around the mafia dealings surrounding the bootlegging industry in the 1920's. It, like most HBO shows, has a ridiculously high production value. It has a terrific cast in Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt, Kelly MacDonald and Michael Shannon, with scene-stealing moments by Michael K. Williams and Dabney Coleman. Its pilot was directed by Martin Freakin' Scorsese! <br />
<br />So when it premiered in 2010, why didn't I get into it?<br />
<br />Maybe because, despite everything on paper, I wasn't immediately sucked into the Boardwalk Empire world the way I was for a <i>Sopranos</i>. Maybe because the hype machine surrounding the series could in no way live up to the reality of the series in general. Maybe because, despite being soundly competent in every way, there wasn't one show-stopping scene in the pilot that I could point to as being a "THIS!" kind of moment. Maybe because it is just too sprawling of a show to get fully immersed in after one episode. (Actually, mostly because we cancelled HBO after the third episode of the first season, but the above reasons are valid, as well.)<br />
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Now that we are HBO subscribers again, Brigitte and I have given <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> a second chance, and have made our way through the first three episodes once again. Though I still have some minor qualms, it is a series that I am getting to be fully invested in, finally. Here are my main thoughts on the show so far:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Wow, this show is ridiculously well-produced. I mean, wow. It's as if it takes the period elements of <i>Mad Men</i> that are well produced and throws millions more dollars at the production to make it that much glossier. If anything, I would be on board with a series that is just people dressed in Swinging '20s stuff and singing about how The Dumb Girls Know How To Make Love (episode three, "Broadway Limited".)</li>
<li>That said, production can't carry everything all the time, but after three episodes, there <i>does</i> seem to be some forward momentum in the plot, even if it's incremental momentum. Through three episodes, we know that Nucky is a guy who is powerful but has a heart, Mrs. Schroeder is afraid but sort of likes the attention Nucky is giving her (AND is totally adorable), Jimmy wants to make a name for himself, and Agent Van Alden is Nucking Futs. Like most serialized dramas these days, the wheels are just starting to spin after three episodes.</li>
<li>I love me some Michael K. Williams, but could he be a bigger anachronism? I get that it's crazy that he says the word "motherfucker" to Nucky and Nucky doesn't understand it, cuz it's the '20s, but is it just me or does he literally just seem like "Omar, But The '20s"? I mean, I don't have any issue with that cuz he's awesome, but so far he seems less like a character and more like fan service.</li>
<li>How adorable/heartbreaking was it when Mrs. Schroeder's kids asked when the new baby was coming? Sigh.</li>
<li>Agent Van Alden seems like he would be a good Crazy Dude Friend to Brother Justin on <i>Carnivale</i>. And they clearly should have tried to take the fat guy who got shot to Doc Cochoran in <i>Deadwood</i> to keep him alive (though the dentist office scene was pretty hilarious.) I'm always looking for HBO crossovers, though (like, HELLO, Will McAvoy's therapist on <i>The Newsroom</i> should CLEARLY be Dr. Paul Weston from <i>In Treatment</i>!)</li>
<li>What a difference watching <i>Dawson's Creek</i> makes in my enjoyment of this series. Michael Pitt went from the Poor Man's Leo to Dude From <i>Dawson's Creek</i> and made me enjoy his character a lot more. </li>
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Season three starts in September, so Brigitte and I have a lot of catching up to do. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-56719363844544464202012-08-14T13:43:00.000-05:002012-08-14T13:44:05.846-05:00Blogulator Radio 66: The Subtle Differences Between Incredulous Looks and Blank Stares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-66-the-subtle-differences-between-incredulous-looks-and-blank-stares/">Is Matthew Perry giving you an incredulous look or a blank <br />stare? Listen to this week's Blogulator Radio to find out!</a></i></span></div>
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Chris and Jerksica have realized that it's pretty hard to record a single take hour-long netcast when there is a baby that is constantly pooping, crying, and not letting them have pretentious conversations about television in their midst. So, here's something new (to them, not to the world of netcasting): a four-part episode with each segment focusing on a new aspect of TV discussion. Join them this week as they review <i>Go On</i> and <i>Animal Practice</i> (NBC's two new comedies whose pilots were previewed during the Olympics), as well as talk some in-development news about <i>The Americans</i> (FX's new spy drama starring Keri Russell) and more, plus their new feature, the Netflix Pick o' the Week, in which they...uhhh...pick a show available on Netflix Watch Instantly that they think is pretty cool.<br />
<br />
0:00-12:04 -- <i>Go On </i><br />
12:04-31:20 -- TV News: FX's spy drama, Kelsey Grammer's police procedural, and Joss Whedon's Marvel series<br />
31:20-42:48 -- Netflix Pick o' the Week: <i>Cheers </i><br />
42:48-52:41 -- <i>Animal Practice</i>chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-19412912150954448522012-08-10T06:00:00.000-05:002012-08-10T09:34:02.935-05:00The Blogulator Presents: Episode of the Month, July, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a busy last couple of months for the Blogulator crew, what with all the TV to watch! (And a few real life things, so back off.) They've squeezed in a few favorite episodes for the month of July (wait, how is it mid-August already? What is happening with time? Where am I?) and below are some of the crew's favorite episodes of TV that aired at the year's slightly-after-midpoint. And because we were all too Minnesota Nice to each other, none of us picked any episodes of <i>Breaking Bad</i> to write about.<br />
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<b><i>Bunheads</i> "Movie Truck" (ABC Family)</b><br />
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We missed doing an Episode of the Month post for June, but if we did, it would have been "For Fanny," the second episode of <i>Gilmore Girls </i>creator Amy
Sherman-Palladino's new show, hands down. It took an infuriating twist
from the pilot and did something extraordinary with it, imbuing a comic
dialogue-driven drama with more genuine emotional heft than it really
had any right to being a show on ABC Family. But we missed June, so I'll
settle for "Movie Truck," which was more classic quirky
Sherman-Palladino, but did something very important that the show has
taken its sweet time doing: making me care about the teenagers. Michelle
and her mother-in-law Fanny have been a pretty ideal odd couple pairing
and anchor for the show, but they've been trying to shoehorn in stories
of Fanny's dance students since the pilot with little success. This
time, however, with a simple sneaking-out-of-the-house-after-dark
scenario, we get to know Boo, Sasha, and the other two (okay, so some
work is still needed) in ways that actually have made me want to see
Michelle actually teach them and get excited for future episodes. [Chris]</div>
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<b><i>Louie</i>, "Daddy's Girlfriend Pt. 2" (FX)</b></div>
Every episode of <i>Louie</i>'s
third season to date has been fantastic in its own way. Scenes like the
season premiere's surprise parked-car-smashing scene, or the second
episode's Gorilla joke, third episode's bar conversation between C.K.
and his vacation bromance buddy, or "Daddy's Girlfriend Pt. 1" and its
extensive use of Louie's "looking at pretty girls" music are among the
highlights of the season thus far. But "Daddy's Girlfriend Pt. 2" has
been the season's best to date. Parker Posey turns the Manic Pixie Dream
Girl meme on its head by delivering as Emmy-worthy of a guest
performance as one can possibly deliver. She's alternately terrifying,
hilarious, tragic and life-affirming all in one episode. Woody Allen
film editor vet Susan Morse has been this season's primary editor and
has improved the general "independent film" feel of the show this
season, but this was the most Allen-esque episode of all, what with C.K.
and Posey walking around New York together in an <i>Annie Hall</i>-twisted-inside-out
kind of way. And it ends with a moment of grace, with Posey sitting on
the ledge of the building and affirming her love of life, and ending
with a beautiful shot of Manhattan at night. I'm a sucker for those
things, so naturally, I'm a sucker for this episode. [Qualler]<br />
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<b><span style="font-style: italic;">Bunheads</span>, "What's Your Damage, Heather?" (ABC Family)</b></div>
<div>
First off, use a quote from <span style="font-style: italic;">Heathers</span> as
your episode title and you're almost guaranteed to get some love from
me. Secondly, this is the second episode in a row with almost no Kelly
Bishop (last episode she had a quick on the phone cameo and this episode
Sutton Foster had an imaginary argument with the Kelly Bishop in her
head). And while I absolutely love Bishop, her absence really allows the
rest of the cast to shine. Foster truly comes into her own in this
episode, trying to not lose her mind
teaching all the dance classes, being a surrogate mom (against her
will) to the spoiled, yet troubled Sasha, then getting heat from the
parent of one of her students. She also hired the one-eyed plumber that
the whole town knows you never hire to do plumbing (they just use him to
"keep an eye on things"). All in all, another hilarious episode that
manages to tug on the heartstrings so sneakily, I found myself laughing
just as I was tearing up. If this show goes away, I'm going to be so
heartbroken. [Sarc]</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-40752950563584039282012-08-09T11:06:00.000-05:002012-08-09T11:16:29.669-05:00Pardon This Winsterruption: Guest Post by Laura Knepper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94DVdPY5K5zXHagrSrtMtH6Fiz2jMJoG-8dTWGpOvdzoO64JCZwKPXuYx7QeBQua54Iogbxb0hYbxt_WvNNTSAB1ZcyVLZOQ8zxpKFyYIro7q7DLKS2jiAuhlBHy9eWUpHUmF2w/s1600/lizz-book-lizz-free-or-die1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94DVdPY5K5zXHagrSrtMtH6Fiz2jMJoG-8dTWGpOvdzoO64JCZwKPXuYx7QeBQua54Iogbxb0hYbxt_WvNNTSAB1ZcyVLZOQ8zxpKFyYIro7q7DLKS2jiAuhlBHy9eWUpHUmF2w/s1600/lizz-book-lizz-free-or-die1.jpg" /></a></center></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lizz Free or Die</i> by Lizz Winstead</span></div>
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<i>Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of reviews of TV-related books. If you're interested in guest reviewing a book written by a TV star, writer, director, etc. contact Chris and Qualler at chrisandqualler@gmail.com. Big thanks to Laura for contributing again!</i><br />
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Okay, so I am a geek for memoirs. Plus a geek for comedy memoirs…but comedian and <i>Daily Show </i>co-creator Lizz Winstead has authored a book, in glorious detail some times, about herself that reveals the human side of us all in a most humbling, hilarious, and earnest way. To say, “I laughed…I cried…” is an understatement—while laughing or crying with Lizz, the reader’s own world dances with hers and leaves you wondering if that story was your memory or hers. This book shows how an ordinary Minnesotan girl through self-reliance, self-discovery, hard work, strong family ties, and with a big ol’ comfy chair can become someone worth reading a book about. If you don’t feel a little part of yourself in Lizz Winstead, you’re not reading this book right.
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Winstead’s “messays”, as she calls her not-entirely-chronological life stories, read part narrative, part self-made dictionary, and part list of comedians and musicians from the 90’s (disclaimer: I LOVED the 90’s). Most chapters go somewhere to the “Taboondocks” including manipulative Catholic scare-tactic home décor, dogs eating dog feces, down-under wardrobe malfunctions, a full cavity spa treatment, and opening for a Frankie Valli concert (Baby Boomers can boo too you know). It’s the steel trestles of a really good self-accusing comedy hour with life-lesson buttresses.
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Between the one-liners funny enough to break your ribs, there’s always an underlying current of wild emotion and passion. She reminds us of why parents, although nagging, deaf and theft-prone, are the best thing to happen to any of us—they’re people we watch <i>Jeopardy!</i> with and the people who leave ridiculous voicemail messages for us and the people who bring our siblings together even at the most dire of times. She reminds of how your career path, especially at the beginning, can seem crooked or misguided, but with dedication, a shitty side job, and a lingering lack of sleep, you can often get to where you want to go. She reminds us of how people deal with ridiculous bosses, get non-TV-famous-teen-pregnant, and attend bad blind dates. It’s all very real and relatable.
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So there’s a catch. Now that Lizz Winstead is your hilarious best friend (jealous, Sarah Silverman?), she leaves you for show business. Turns out she had the talent for not just biting political stand-up and working on <i>The Daily Show</i>, but also production for Air America Radio and a political activist for Planned Parenthood. A true down-to-earth celebrity inspiration for all (or at least for you crazy Bill Maher loving liberals out there). Don’t worry though…she’ll still invite you over for Sunday dinners. Cause, when it comes down to it, she’s still Minnesota Nice.<br />
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<i>Laura Knepper is a friend of The Blogulator as well as the founder of <a href="http://lkcstyle.com/">LKc Style</a>, an affordable personal shopping company exclusively for men's clothing. Click the link to find out more.</i>chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-60494080260965437602012-08-07T08:40:00.001-05:002012-08-07T11:31:34.332-05:00Blogulator Radio 65: The Olympics Are Not (Breaking) Bad And Also Homeland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7kEk2dGnQeNwUm79e2ABfMqQsbmei8Um39OtuGHIzwRsdeWYR6a43C8Bi4wD8zbMiDiXFXxepvObfmL6hk7QsR0LPr_oihNS4D7zaTa3PY-9Ks0rVkDnx16tjI-xwVbUKOCt/s1600/lochte_winks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7kEk2dGnQeNwUm79e2ABfMqQsbmei8Um39OtuGHIzwRsdeWYR6a43C8Bi4wD8zbMiDiXFXxepvObfmL6hk7QsR0LPr_oihNS4D7zaTa3PY-9Ks0rVkDnx16tjI-xwVbUKOCt/s320/lochte_winks.jpeg" width="320" /></a></center></div>
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-62-the-olympic-games-are-not-breaking-bad-and-also-homeland/">Click here to listen to the newest episode of Blogulator Radio. It will be 50% less douchey than Ryan Lochte.</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Qualler and Brigitte, seemingly out of different </span><i style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Breaking Bad</i><span style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">-style puns that they can shoehorn into their </span><i style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Bad </i><span style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">recap episodes, have nevertheless shoehorned in the title of said show into the episode title. But before digging into the spoiler-heavy discussion of season five's fourth episode "Fifty-One", Qualler and Brigitte discuss what is on the background of televisions all over the country these past couple weeks: the 2012 Summer Olympics! They tackle subjects such as, "What is up with NBC not showing everything constantly live like whoa, amiright?" and "What's up with Gabby Douglas's hair?" They round up their discussion with a SUPER spoiler-heavy deconstruction of the first season of Showtime's </span><i style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Homeland</i><span style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">. Non-spoiler: this is an awesome show. Another non-spoiler: they made it through an entire episode WITHOUT once bashing </span><i style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Newsroom</i><span style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">! That's progress! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Show breakdown:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;">00:00-16:45 The Olympics</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;">16:45-38:50 <i>Breaking Bad</i> season five episode four: "Fifty-One"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;">38:50-56:22 <i>Homeland</i> season one</span></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-72182029760477053372012-08-02T08:16:00.003-05:002012-08-02T08:16:53.618-05:00Blogulator Radio 64: How To Join A (Television) Cult<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<center><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GuogbQ1V0C2xPho1yeojAE_qUjvpI4sz_-E5xgdqw6pVNB8-1a7kKkblg2yuB7zS7duyNKTiM8auABTvUixIXgjw_jIiVUV0c07guYoXYc4lzyh-oUDBa6J2LeR8p1yMpCBh_A/s1600/timthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GuogbQ1V0C2xPho1yeojAE_qUjvpI4sz_-E5xgdqw6pVNB8-1a7kKkblg2yuB7zS7duyNKTiM8auABTvUixIXgjw_jIiVUV0c07guYoXYc4lzyh-oUDBa6J2LeR8p1yMpCBh_A/s320/timthumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></center></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">Click here for the latest episode of Blogulator Radio, which<br />just might blue your mind. Wait, that doesn't sound right.</a></i></span></div>
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"Cult TV" is a term that's been bandied about for years, but has never really made much sense to Chris and Jerksica. So when Entertainment Weekly ran a second edition of its Top 25 Cult TV Series of All Time for its latest issue, naturally they had a few things to say about it. What follows is a sprawling conversation about the definition of cult pop culture, the increasing prominence of sci-fi/fantasy television, and the boons and pratfalls of extended mythologies amongst geek shows. Including commentary on everything from rabidly adored short-lived sitcoms like <i>Arrested Development</i> and <i>Party Down</i> to strangely quirky and unique dramas like <i>Twin Peaks</i> and <i>Veronica Mars</i>, is the branding of "cult TV" in the internet age just another way to say "great and greatly missed TV"? Also, what did EW inevitably leave off the too-truncated list that infuriated Chris and Jerksica (and maybe yourself)?<br />
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Blogulator Radio is brought to you in part by Netflix, where you can stream your favorite TV shows and movies from your TV, computer, or many other devices as often as you want for just 7.99 a month. Start your <a href="http://www.bit.ly/blogflix">free two week trial today</a> and help support independent netcasting. For up to the minute updates all up in your upness, be sure to subscribe to Blogulator Radio via <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=433986188">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/shows/bradio/feed">RSS</a>.chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-57418746900448735602012-07-27T08:00:00.000-05:002012-07-27T13:58:17.273-05:00The Importance Of Being Honest<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCI8JtaVARDPTDYalkXhZQalqrfgYLkYeNyyEfcNZt0SsBD05USyQD40WKWutsmqMZMbBcRKIicsBoFEPomYVYqk-eLeszGDg1TW-GMHu5Sb5oDoS-mga6J4fMVMv6I4xw5Ip/s1600/buns5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCI8JtaVARDPTDYalkXhZQalqrfgYLkYeNyyEfcNZt0SsBD05USyQD40WKWutsmqMZMbBcRKIicsBoFEPomYVYqk-eLeszGDg1TW-GMHu5Sb5oDoS-mga6J4fMVMv6I4xw5Ip/s320/buns5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mindy Riggins just wants to be your Shih Tzu.</i></td></tr>
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I hate<i> The Newsroom</i>. People ask me why I watch it if I hate it so much. The answer is simple: It's the summer and there's not much else on. If <i>The Newsroom</i> aired this fall, there is no way I'd be watching it. I probably still would have watched the pilot, out of curiosity. But that would've been it. Sunday night's normally a crowded night for television and this fall will be no different with <i>The Good Wife</i>, <i>Revenge</i> and other popular shows (like <i>The Walking Dead</i>, <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> and <i>Dexter</i>) all airing at 9pm, then<i> Homeland</i> and<i> Treme </i>airing at 10pm. Granted, <i>The Newsroom</i> would take the timeslot of <i>Treme</i> or <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> on HBO, but, in either case, there are shows airing at 9 and 10 I'd watch twice before even thinking about watching <i>The Newsroom</i> instead.<br />
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But, it is the summer and even though <i>Breaking Bad </i>airs at the same time <i>The Newsroom</i> does, there's not much else showing on television the rest of the week. I think the only other shows I watch during the week now are <i>Louie</i>, <i>Futurama</i> and the new ABC Family show, <i>Bunheads</i>. So, given the dearth of programming during these summer months, I'm not exactly forcing myself to watch <i>The Newsroom</i>. It's just that it happens to be a train wreck fascinating enough to watch when there's not much else going on. In fact, I'd say it was a brilliant move on HBO's part, airing it at this time of the year. I'm sure it would have gotten trounced if it aired in the fall or spring. It certainly wouldn't be getting the amount of attention that it does now. I know I certainly wouldn't be writing about it as I am now.<br />
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In fact, I'd much rather write about <i>Bunheads</i>. Much like <i>The Newsroom</i>, <i>Bunheads</i> was created and mostly written by a TV creator known for writing verbose and witty dialogue designed to be delivered at a fast pace. Amy Sherman-Palladino's most beloved TV show aired for six years way back at the turn of the century. Much like <i>Newsroom</i> creator Aaron Sorkin, her attempts to get other shows off the ground, after she left her most beloved creation behind, were not well recieved. With <i>Bunheads</i>, Sherman-Palladino has decided to err on the side of caution and go with what worked before: an unconventional outsider of a protagonist finds herself living in a quaint and quirky small town filled with charming oddballs. (Sorkin also stuck with what he's familiar with on television: a behind-the-scenes workplace dramedy filled with office romances and big issue sermonizing.)<br />
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Bunheads has turned into a delightful show, even though Sherman-Palladino's first few episodes were awkward, what with her machinations to get the main character, Michelle (played by Sutton Foster) into the small town of "Paradise"(*sigh*...I know, right?) and concocting a semi-believable reason for her to stay (the man she drunkenly married who wisked her away to Paradise dies in a car crash and inherits all his possessions, including the house his mother lives in and the dance studio wherein she teaches). Once that mess of a premise has been mostly dealt with, and even in the midst of all that cleaning up, that old familiar fast-talking, hilarious dialogue and charm reminiscent of <i>Gilmore Girls</i> shined through brilliantly.<br />
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While other shows have tried to capture the whimsical and light-hearted tone of <i>Gilmore Girls</i> (the recent CW show <i>Hart Of Dixie</i> springs to mind) none of them have been able to duplicate whatever magic Sherman-Palladino seems to have pouring out of her fingers. All the characters in the town of Paradise are almost instantly fascinating and/or endearing. From the laidback surf-doggy of a bar-owner to the tightly wound dress shop owner, Truly, who was in love with Michelle's now deceased husband. <i>Bunheads</i> is so expertly cast, written and performed that it's been six whole episodes for me to realize that Truly is played by Stacey Oristano who portrayed the vastly different character "Mindy Collette/Riggins," the sometimes stripper that married Billy Riggins on<i> Friday Night Lights</i>!<br />
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Anyways, it's hard to relate just what makes this show so special and wonderful, so here's some dialogue of the desperately lonely, yet adorable Truly trying to convince Michelle to let her tagalong on Michelle's birthday adventure with her best friend from Las Vegas:<br />
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"You know, sometimes, when you're going out, the two of you, it's nice to have another person along, to watch your bag if you get up to dance or watch the bathroom door if you need to use the Men's Room? A third person, LIKE IN <i>CHARLIE'S ANGELS</i>! There were three of them."<br />
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"Yeah, but only two stayed on the show for the entire run, so, really there were only two."<br />
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"There were three in the pictures?"<br />
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"Yeah, but only two in loyalty and spirit."<br />
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"But three in reality and number, I was thinking if you need a third-"<br />
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"We don't-"<br />
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"I could come along-"<br />
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"Two's fine-"<br />
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"And watch the Men's Room door for you."<br />
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Then Michelle's friend says to bring Truly along, "She's cute, like a purse dog. It'll be like having a Shih Tzu."<br />
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"Oh, please! Please let me be your Shih Tzu!" Then, Truly covers her face with the head of a teddy bear because she's so excited.<br />
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The happiness and joy of the characters on <i>Bunheads</i> is infectious. It gives me a warm feeling inside and puts a genuine smile upon my face. It's become one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen this year.<br />
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Now, there's an earnestness to the characters on <i>Bunheads</i> that I find easy to believe. Mostly because there are at least one or two characters at any given time looking at these other characters like they're from another planet. There's a lot of sarcasm on the show and it's well-placed and timed to keep the show from becoming over-saccharine or too fantastical. Sherman-Palladino knows how to look at this world through slightly disbelieving eyes, like it's too good to be true. That viewpoint never wavers in the face of all the wackiness and it makes <i>Bunheads</i> easy and enjoyable to watch without rolling one's eyes constantly.<br />
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Rolling my eyes has become a constant reaction to the things characters say and do on <i>The Newsroom</i>. Much like Sherman-Palladino, Sorkin likes to construct fantasy worlds wherein his characters are earnest, hard-working, super-great at their jobs and are always, always right in the face of so many others who are always wrong and bad and evil. This wasn't really a problem with shows like <i>The West Wing</i> or <i>Sports Night</i> because the worlds of those shows existed in their own little fictional bubble. The issues they dealt with were similar to things that occur in real life, but they weren't so close to home as to make dealing with those issues come across as unseemly. <i>The Newsroom</i>, however, is supposed to exist in our world.<br />
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The reason this doesn't work is because it makes "News Night"(*groan*...I know, right? It's literally the title of the show within the show of "Sports Night" but with "News" instead of "Sports!" Come on, Sorkin!) a time machine for Sorkin to use at will to concoct narratives that somehow flow into certain news events and make the protagonists of this show seem righteous and trailblazing. Take the episode from two weeks ago. The lead character, Will McAvoy has been attacking Republicans and the NRA about their stance on gun control. And, lo and behold, at the end of the episode, Congresswoman Gifford gets shot! Will was right! And then, all the other news shows are saying she's been killed, but "News Night" wants to wait until they have confirmation. The network ratings guy (who is somehow present ON THE STUDIO FLOOR DURING A LIVE BROADCAST?!) tells Will to say she's dead. Will says no. Seconds later, a medical technician tells them she's not dead. Will's right! AGAIN! Coldplay plays! <i>The Newsroom</i> wins!<br />
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Aside from how distasteful that whole thing is (and, rest assured, scenes like that happen at the end of every episode of <i>The Newsroom</i>), it might be forgivable if the characters seem grounded in reality or if even just one normal-seeming character that wasn't a caricature or a cartoon villain, would walk up to Will McAvoy and tell him, and even the rest of his coworkers, how much of an asshole he is and that the rest of them are unprofessional lunatics. Somehow, even though it's set in an almost magical town that seems untouched by the outside world, <i>Bunheads</i> feels more honest than <i>The Newsroom</i> simply because <i>Bunheads</i> isn't afraid to laugh at itself and its characters and all their faults. Characters on <i>Bunheads</i> realize that the outside world is pretty cruel and not everything is pristine and perfect. So the lighthearted moments make the more serious moments ring truer than they ever do on <i>The Newsroom</i>. (And I don't even want to begin to get into how terribly <i>The Newsroom </i>portrays women on the show. This already lengthy entry would then test the limits of this website.)<br />
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I can't help but wonder what it would be like if the cast and crew of <i>Bunheads</i> and <i>The Newsroom</i> switched places. Would <i>The Newsroom</i> become an enjoyable place to visit? Would "News Night" be run by spectacularly professional, but charmingly quirky, and largely female, ensemble? In Paradise, would Will MacAvoy learn to lighten up having drinks with his new father-in-law, the former DA from <i>Law & Order</i>? Would Allison Pill and Emily Mortimer get to show off some ballet skills to the sounds of They Might Be Giants instead of Coldplay? Oh, the possibilities!<br />
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In summation, while the characters of <i>The Newsroom</i> wish everyone in their world could be as honest as they are, the way they themselves are written makes them come across as false and fake. Meanwhile, the humor and general respect with which the characters on Bunheads are portrayed makes the world they inhabit feel more realistic than the world in which The Newsroom takes place. It also makes Paradise a more desirable place to visit each week.Sarchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09774060426675539926noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-16690002126405377792012-07-26T10:42:00.000-05:002012-07-26T10:46:45.780-05:00Apparently We’re All Friends with Rob Lowe: Guest Post by Laura Knepper<br />
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<i>Editor's Note: This is the first in what may or may not become a series of reviews of TV-related books. If you're interested in guest reviewing a book written by a TV star, writer, director, etc. contact Chris and Qualler at chrisandqualler@gmail.com. Big thanks to Laura for kicking it off!</i><br />
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Dear Rob, thank you for sharing your stories with us—your friends. Now that we’re besties, maybe we can tell you some of our stories. Maybe even one of them would be on par with your coming-of-age-making-8mm’s-with-other-childhood-stars-chronicles. But that seems unlikely. We found out quickly what an awesome and occasionally troubled [read: drunkenly fun and silly] life you’ve led. Those baby blues have suited you very well.<br />
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What I now know is that reading books written by celebrities is always truly fascinating. It really puts us normal people in our place. It reminds us how we don’t do joint venture capital pet projects, don’t ride in private jets, and don’t have drinks with Andy Warhol (as if we even could now…). But despite Lowe’s unintended name dropping and status-imbibing, he attempts matter-of-factness as best as someone that good looking can.<br />
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Lowe tried to cultivate a world of normality around his everyday friends—Sarah Jessica Parker, Janet Jackson, Tom Cruise, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, The Penn brothers. The truth is, these people all had amazing lives, are often swelteringly front-page worthy, and have won lots of shiny awards. The last award I won was not even close to shelf worthy (but thanks, Mom). The average reader may find Rob’s stories slightly patronizing.<br />
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Shoving aside the celebrity of it all, Rob Lowe manages to tell some pretty good and often ironic stories. He grew up as an outsider (no pun intended) out of Ohio and later Malibu, California. Picked up as a teen star by Francis Ford Coppola under grueling and demanding conditions, Lowe went on to be a member of what eventually unfolded as the brat-pack: a star studded youthful cast of the 80’s banded together in multiple movies, getting paid loads of cash, and getting in the pants and/or dreams of many tweeny boppers (to Lowe’s dismay, once on a home video camera). Trying to shake the image and stigma, Lowe went years with no solid leads and working on the liberal campaign trail. His then-new sobriety and grounding landed him a wife and two kids—a sliver of what us normal people can actually relate to.<br />
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This second wind caught him up in the career opportunity of a lifetime on <i>The West Wing</i>. A teeny weeny show suspected of great things only by a select few and suspected of making only six episodes by a great many—until it aired and won more Emmy’s than Charlie Sheen has hookers. Lowe’s luck has landed him in a weird variety of more comedic side roles in <i>Tommy Boy</i>, <i>Austin Powers</i>, and <i>Parks & Recreation</i> (literally, my personal favorite).<br />
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If he had been cast in <i>Footloose</i> prior to shattering his knee during the dance try-out, maybe he’d have had a much different career (6 Degrees of Rob Lowe, anyone?), but it would be indisputable to say he didn’t work hard to get to where he’s at now, teen foibles included. Look for Lowe’s name under the production lines these days, that’s where you’ll likely find him.<br />
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<i>Laura Knepper is a friend of The Blogulator as well as the founder of <a href="http://lkcstyle.com/">LKc Style</a>, an affordable personal shopping company exclusively for men's clothing. Click the link to find out more.</i>chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-88549556233234596652012-07-24T21:54:00.000-05:002012-07-24T21:55:07.771-05:00Blogulator Radio 63: Breaking Batman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.fancypantsgangsters.com/bradio/blogulator-radio-episode-63-breaking-batman/#disqus_thread">Click here to listen to Brigitte and Qualler bicker more than Qualler really intends to. It's awfully hard for Qualler, though, because movies last for a long time, and recording late at night is hard. </a></div>
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We now live in a post <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> world, which of course means that Qualler and Brigitte find it necessary to analyze their favorite show currently on the air <i>Breaking Bad</i> with a Nolanesque lens. In this week's episode of Blogulator Radio, Qualler and Brigitte do just that, in an episode where they discuss their thoughts on episode two of the fifth season of <i>Bad</i> both before having seen <i>TDKR</i> and after seeing <i>TDKR</i>. Spoiler alert: there are mega-spoilers for both <i>Breaking Bad</i> and <i>TDKR</i>. Non-spoiler spoiler alert: Qualler and Brigitte both attempt to imitate Bane's silly voice.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-36291974379232330132012-07-19T14:48:00.000-05:002012-07-19T16:06:39.777-05:00Emmy Nominations: Snubs and (Non)Flubs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;">Chris posted yesterday about his </span><a href="http://www.theblogulator.com/2012/07/my-own-personal-emmys.html" style="background-color: white;">Own Personal Emmys</a><span style="background-color: white;">, and while I can get behind most of what he would have nominated, I deal in reality. (The difference, I guess, in being an English Teacher vs. being an Accountant.) Therefore, below are the actual nominations for the 2012 Emmys, along with a little bit of commentary by me.</span></div>
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<b>Drama:</b><br />
<i>Boardwalk Empire </i>(HBO)<br />
<i>Breaking Bad </i>(AMC)<br />
<i>Downton Abbey </i>(PBS)<br />
<i>Game of Thrones </i>(HBO)<br />
<i>Homeland </i>(Showtime)<br />
<i>Mad Men </i>(AMC)<br />
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No "traditional" broadcast dramas, three pay cable dramas, two standard cable drams. The shift into cable seems to be complete. I feel like <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> is weirdly underrated, even though it always seems to get a slew of nominations for things. So glad that <i>Homeland</i> replaces <i>Dexter</i> as the Showtime nomination. I can't really argue with any of these being nominated (though I wish the dearly departed <i>Luck</i> or the is-it-a-drama-or-a-comedy <i>Enlightened</i> would have gotten some love, too.)<br />
<b>Who should win:</b> I'm a sucker for what's new-and-fresh, so I would vote <i>Homeland</i>.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b><i>Mad Men.</i><br />
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white;">Actress in a Drama Series:</b><br />
Kathy Bates, <i>Harry's Law</i> (NBC)<br />
Glenn Close, <i>Damages </i>(Audience Network)<br />
Claire Danes, <i>Homeland</i> (Showtime)<br />
Michelle Dockery, <i>Downton Abbey</i> (PBS)<br />
Julianna Margulies, <i>The Good Wife</i> (CBS)<br />
Elisabeth Moss, <i>Mad Men</i> (AMC)<br />
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LOLZ at Kathy Bates for <i>Harry's Law</i>. You just can't help yourselves, can you, Emmy voters? Glenn Close also fits in the "movie actor gravitating to television" type of nomination (though her interplay with Rose Byrne is the one and only reason to watch <i>Damages</i> anymore.) Can't really argue with the rest of them. Some year, <a href="http://tvoti.net/">Lorraine Bracco will finally win in her title role for <i>Emmy Justice</i>. (Hat tip to the TV on the Internet podcast.)</a><br />
<b>Who should win: </b>Claire Danes is so fantastic in <i>Homeland</i> in so many ways that she is clearly deserving, probably even moreso than my vote for the series itself above.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b> Danes, because <i>Homeland</i> won't get the series, but it's gotten enough nominations that it needs to get something. Plus, the Emmys will be praised for voting for someone new, even though Claire Danes actually isn't really new.<br />
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<b>Actor in a Drama Series</b><br />
Hugh Bonneville, <i>Downton Abbey </i>(PBS)<br />
Bryan Cranston, <i>Breaking Bad </i>(AMC)<br />
Michael C. Hall, <i>Dexter</i> (Showtime)<br />
Jon Hamm, <i>Mad Men</i> (AMC)<br />
Damian Lewis, <i>Homeland</i> (Showtime)<br />
Steve Buscemi, <i>Boardwalk Empire</i> (HBO)<br />
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*Sigh*...Michael C. Hall. You don't <i>always</i> have to nominate him when the show has gone down the tubes, Emmys. This is a pretty stacked category now, though, especially with Damian Lewis joining the fold. I'm sure there are lots of snubs here (Timothy Olyphant, for example...) but meh.<br />
<b>Who should win:</b> Jon Hamm is always great on <i>Mad Men</i>, though he never wins because he's often more subtle than his nomination peers. But this should be the year he wins, since he got to do some stuff where he was all crazy-like.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b> My gut says Cranston, but my heart says Hamm.<br />
<b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:</b><br />
Anna Gunn, <i>Breaking Bad</i> (AMC)<br />
Maggie Smith, <i>Downton Abbey</i> (PBS)<br />
Joanne Froggatt, <i>Downton Abbey </i>(PBS)<br />
Archie Panjabi, <i>The Good Wife</i> (CBS)<br />
Christine Baranski, <i>The Good Wife</i> (CBS)<br />
Christina Hendricks, <i>Mad Men</i> (AMC)<br />
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I love how this category is "AMC stars versus <i>Downton Abbey</i> versus <i>The Good Wife</i>." So little diversity in the nominations. I'm kind of disappointed that none of the other <i>Game of Thrones </i>actresses got a nomination; Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey and Michelle Fairley were all tremendous in season two. But, these are all picks I can't really argue with at all.<br />
<b>Who should win</b>: I'd always go with Anna Gunn, because her character has gotten so much more complex as <i>Breaking Bad</i> has gone on and Gunn has captured all of that tremendously.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>Thrice-nominated never-won Christina Hendricks has a chance, especially given the Joan-centric episode I would surmise she was submitted for ("The Other Woman"), but here's where <i>Downton Abbey</i> will break through. Give it to the dramatic version of Betty White, Maggie Smith.<br />
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<b>Supporting Actor in a Drama Series</b><br />
Aaron Paul, <i>Breaking Bad </i>(AMC)<br />
Giancarlo Esposito, <i>Breaking Bad</i> (AMC)<br />
Brendan Coyle, <i>Downton Abbey</i> (PBS)<br />
Jim Carter, <i>Downton Abbey</i> (PBS)<br />
Peter Dinklage, <i>Game of Thrones</i> (HBO)<br />
Jared Harris, <i>Mad Men </i>(AMC)<br />
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I <i>looove</i> Giancarlo Esposito's nomination here -- a very pleasant surprise. And again, it's basically "AMC vs. <i>Downton Abbey</i> vs. Something Else" -- in this case, the very worth Peter Dinklage is the Something Else. A big snub: Mandy Patinkin for <i>Homeland</i>.<br />
<b>Who should win:</b> As awesome as Esposito was as Gus in season four, Aaron Paul just completely owns <i>Breaking Bad</i> and is every bit an equal to Bryan Cranston. A constantly impressive body of work, which slightly edges Dinklage's scene stealing in <i>Game of Thrones</i>.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>Tough call, but I predict Dinklage gets the back-to-back Emmys.<br />
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<b>Comedy Series:</b><br />
<i>The Big Bang Theory </i>(CBS)<br />
<i>Curb Your Enthusiasm </i>(HBO)<br />
<i>Girls </i>(HBO)<br />
<i>Modern Family</i> (ABC)<br />
<i>30 Rock</i> (NBC)<br />
<i>Veep </i>(HBO)<br />
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This is another example of Emmy voters not knowing when to stop giving a series nominations once it gets in the game. <i>30 Rock</i> is still a worthwhile show, but it is far surpassed by shows on its own network like <i>Parks and Recreation </i>and <i>Community. </i>Also: <i>Modern Family</i> and <i>Big Bang. (</i>Brigitte gets mad at me when I point out how <i>Modern Family </i>really should be a multi-cam sitcom.) And no <i>Louie</i> nomination. Sad. But hey! <i>Girls</i>! That's exciting! And <i>Veep</i>! Surprising, but also exciting!<br />
<b>Who should win:</b> <i>Louie, </i>or <i>Parks and Recreation</i>, or <i>Community</i>, but none of them are nominated. So, <i>Girls</i>, the next best thing. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQRm1cg8T8I&feature=related">Although, the invention of the Car Periscope could be enough to convince me to give the award to <i>Curb</i>.</a> I seriously needed one when I was stuck in traffic yesterday. (And now as it turns out, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqGo42jEXPw">it was actually invented on <i>Seinfeld</i>.</a> Good reference, Larry David.)<br />
<b>Who will win: </b><i>Modern Family</i>. Remember the thing about not knowing when to stop giving series nominations? Same applies to series victories.<br />
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<b>Actress in a Comedy Series:</b><br />
Lena Dunham, <i>Girls </i>(HBO)<br />
Melissa McCarthy, <i>Mike & Molly</i> (CBS)<br />
Zooey Deschanel, <i>New Girl</i> (Fox)<br />
Edie Falco, <i>Nurse Jackie</i> (Showtime)<br />
Amy Poehler, <i>Parks and Recreation</i> (NBC)<br />
Tina Fey, <i>30 Rock</i> (NBC)<br />
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, <i>Veep</i> (HBO)<br />
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Lena Dunham! So great in <i>Girls</i>! Ah! Swoon! Really, all of these actresses are tremendous, so I'm pleased for all of them. The bits of <i>Nurse Jackie</i> I have sampled recently leave me feeling good about Ms. Falco, although she's not really comedic at all in the show (nor, is the show at all comedic. Half hour does not always mean comedy, Emmy voters / networks that submit themselves to those categories.)<br />
<b>Who should win: </b>Amy Poehler, because she is the ray of bright sunshine in an already very sunny show.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>This seems like a tough one to predict, but I'll go with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, because the Emmys are a club like that.<br />
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<b>Actor in a Comedy Series:</b><br />
Jim Parsons, <i>The Big Bang Theory </i>(CBS)<br />
Larry David, <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i> (HBO)<br />
Don Cheadle, <i>House of Lies</i> (Showtime)<br />
Louis C.K., <i>Louie</i> (FX)<br />
Alec Baldwin, <i>30 Rock</i> (NBC)<br />
Jon Cryer, <i>Two And A Half Men</i> (CBS)<br />
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Ay-yay-yay, Jon Cryer? To be nice, I'm assuming this is a "we feel bad for you having to work with Charlie Sheen" sympathy nomination. I mean, he's not the reason <i>Two And A Half Men</i> is what it is, but, geeze. I actually enjoy Jim Parsons in <i>Big Bang</i>, which probably doesn't make me the most popular Blogulator member, but popularity be damned! Don Cheadle = rewarding movie actors who make it in television (is <i>House of Lies</i> any good, anybody? It got pretty mixed reviews.)<br />
<b>Who should win:</b> In terms of acting, I don't really think Larry David or Louis C.K. are tremendous actors in the traditional sense, but they are both indispensable to each of their shows. I'll give the edge to Louis C.K. since he has much more range than David.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>Probably Parsons, again.<br />
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<b>Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series</b><br />
Mayim Bialik, <i>The Big Bang Theory</i> (CBS)<br />
Kathryn Joosten, <i>Desperate Housewives </i>(ABC)<br />
Julie Bowen, <i>Modern Family</i> (ABC)<br />
Sofia Vergara, <i>Modern Family</i> (ABC)<br />
Merritt Wever, <i>Nurse Jackie</i> (Showtime)<br />
Kristin Wiig, <i>Saturday Night Live</i> (NBC)<br />
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Oof, this is a bit of a rough category. For one, I don't understand why <i>Saturday Night Live</i> keeps getting nominations -- did NBC just recently figure out they could submit actors here? I'm a little tired of <i>Modern Family's </i>schtick, but the actors are all good at what they do. So, yeah.<br />
<b>Who should win: </b>Probably Martha Plimpton for <i>Raising Hope</i> but she's not nominated. So, between Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergera, I go with Bowen.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>Probably Vergera.<br />
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<b>Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series</b><br />
Ed O'Neill, <i>Modern Family </i>(ABC)<br />
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, <i>Modern Family</i> (ABC)<br />
Ty Burrell, <i>Modern Family </i>(ABC)<br />
Eric Stonestreet, <i>Modern Family</i> (ABC)<br />
Max Greenfield, <i>New Girl</i> (ABC)<br />
Bill Hader, <i>Saturday Night Live</i> (NBC)<br />
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Again, the <i>Modern Family</i> awards, everybody! The biggest snub of all is not including Nick Offerman for <i>Parks And Recreation</i>. This might be the biggest snub that I can think of this year.<br />
<b>Who should win: </b>If we're assuming someone from <i>Family</i> will win, then I'd give it to Eric Stonestreet, who is my favorite part of the show. Ty Burrell used to be until his character became a more cartooney version of Michael Scott.<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>Burrell.<br />
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<b>Writing for a Comedy Series:</b><br />
"Pregnant", <i>Louie </i>(FX), written by Louis C.K.<br />
"Pilot", <i>Girls</i> (HBO), written by Lena Dunham<br />
"The Debate", <i>Parks And Recreation</i> (NBC), written by Amy Poehler<br />
"Win, Lose, or Draw", <i>Parks and Recreation</i> (NBC), written by Michael Schur<br />
"Remedial Chaos Theory", <i>Community</i> (NBC), written by Chris McKenna<br />
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Hooray for writing nominations for all the shows that actually should have been nominated for Comedy Series! I'm looking at you, <i>Louie</i>, <i>Parks </i>and <i>Community.</i><br />
<b>Who should win: </b>As far as individual writing awards go, "Remedial Chaos Theory" is one of the best-written scripts of the year, so I'd give it to that, even if I think the overall writing for the entire season of <i>Girls </i>is probably my favorite.<br />
<b>Who will win:</b> This might be the <i>Girls</i> category that wins, so I predict Dunham will walk away with the trophy.<br />
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<b>Writing for a Drama Series:</b><br />
"Episode 7", <i>Downton Abbey</i> (PBS), written by Julian Fellowes<br />
"The Other Woman", <i>Mad Men</i> (AMC), written by Matthew Weiner<br />
"Commissions and Fees", <i>Mad Men </i>(AMC), written by Maria Jacquemetton & Andre Jacquemetton<br />
"Far Away Places", <i>Mad Men</i> (AMC), written by Matthew Weiner<br />
"Pilot", <i>Homeland </i>(Showtime), written by Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa & Gideon Raff<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen, the <i>Mad Men</i> awards! Again, I think it's weird that you can have one show get nominated more than once for writing, but I guess that's the rule.<br />
<b>Who should win:</b> That pilot for <i>Homeland</i> was one of the best pilots I've seen in a long time, and since the better episode "The Weekend" wasn't nominated, I'll give it to "Pilot".<br />
<b>Who will win: </b>Probably "Far Away Places" so Matthew Weiner gets his annual Emmy for writing, and because <strike>it was a season finale</strike> (something-something Matthew Weiner writes circles around everybody else.)<br />
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<b>Other Snubs and (Non)Flubs</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Nothing for <i>Archer</i>. Boo. But yay for <i>Bob's Burgers</i> making it over <i>Family Guy</i>.</li>
<li>Nothing for <i>Treme</i> or <i>Enlightened </i>or <i>Luck. </i>Boo.</li>
<li><i>Community</i> and <i>Parks And Recreation</i> don't get series nods but get the acting and writing nods. Very Oscar-like giving the consolation-type nominations to shows that aren't as popular as the others.</li>
<li>No <i>The Vampire Diaries</i>! I mean, not that I was expecting anything, but still. There should be a "Most Holy Crap! Moments In A Drama Series" category next year, cuz it would clean house.</li>
<li>Obviously there are a million other categories that I did not discuss here. </li>
<li>All in all, this is a pretty decent list of nominations.</li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11495053235877038408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16149408.post-27242629875870688752012-07-19T00:40:00.000-05:002012-07-19T00:43:32.426-05:00My Own Personal Emmys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Emmy nominations will be announced a quarter past the first cock crow tomorrow morning by Nick Offerman (NBC's <i>Parks & Recreation</i>) and Kerry Washington (ABC's <i>Scandal</i>). I have not always been as excited about the Emmys as I am about, say, the Academy Awards, but with The Blogulator recently becoming a TV-only blog, I feel I must align my obsession accordingly. Thus, like I do every year with Sir Oscar, I'd like to share what the Emmy nods (and only the categories that I care about) might look like if I were in charge. Probably not that different from any TV critic with half of a brain, but still, fantasy is fun. Let me know if you'd swap out any of the following in the comments. If anything, this will be at least fun for me to compare to who actually gets nominated come the morrow.<br />
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<b>Best Comedy</b></div>
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<i>Community</i> (NBC)</div>
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<i>Happy Endings</i> (ABC)</div>
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<i>Parks & Recreation</i> (NBC)</div>
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<i>Louie</i> (FX)
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<i>Cougar Town</i> (ABC)</div>
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<i>Girls</i> (HBO)</div>
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<b>Best Drama
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<i>Breaking Bad</i> (AMC)</div>
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<i>Mad Men</i> (AMC)</div>
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<i>Enlightened</i>* (HBO)</div>
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<i>Game of Thrones</i> (HBO)</div>
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<i>Justified</i> (FX)</div>
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<i>Homeland</i> (Showtime)</div>
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*Yes, it's a half hour show, but it's more drama than comedy dammit and this is my fantasy!</div>
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<b>Best Actress in a Comedy</b></div>
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Amy Poehler in <i>Parks & Recreation</i></div>
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus in <i>Veep</i></div>
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Courteney Cox in <i>Cougar Town</i></div>
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Lena Dunham in <i>Girls</i></div>
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Martha Plimpton in <i>Raising Hope</i></div>
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Tina Fey in <i>30 Rock</i></div>
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<b>Best Actress in a Drama</b></div>
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Claire Danes in <i>Homeland</i></div>
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Elisabeth Moss in <i>Mad Men</i></div>
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Laura Dern in<i> Enlightened</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jessica Par<span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 18px;">é</span> in <i>Mad Men</i></span></div>
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Lena Headey in <i>Game of Thrones*</i></div>
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Emily Van Camp in <i>Revenge</i></div>
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<i>*</i>Not sure if she submitted in supporting or lead, but I think she was the lead actress of the show this season, just like Peter Dinklage became the lead actor. Tricky with ensembles but this way it spreads the love.</div>
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<b>Best Actor in a Comedy</b></div>
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Louis C.K. in <i>Louie</i></div>
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Garrett Dillahunt in <i>Raising Hope</i></div>
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Zachary Knighton in <i>Happy Endings*</i></div>
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Adam Scott in <i>Parks & Recreation</i></div>
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Joel McHale in<i> Community</i></div>
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Steve Dildarian in <i>The Life & Times of Tim</i></div>
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*Once again, not sure if he submitted for lead (or at all), but Dave is the hapless center of <i>Happy Endings</i> even if it is an ensemble in the truest sense of the word. Therefore my fictional wish vote counts.</div>
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<b>Best Actor in a Drama</b></div>
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Bryan Cranston in <i>Breaking Bad</i></div>
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Jon Hamm in <i>Mad Men</i></div>
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Peter Dinklage in <i>Game of Thrones</i>*</div>
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Timothy Olyphant in <i>Justified</i></div>
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Damian Lewis in <i>Homeland</i></div>
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Noah Wyle in<i> Falling Skies</i></div>
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*See Lena Headey's asterisk above.</div>
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<b>Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy</b></div>
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Casey Wilson in <i>Happy Endings</i></div>
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Gillian Jacobs in <i>Community</i></div>
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Eliza Coupe in<i> Happy Endings</i></div>
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Allison Brie in <i>Community</i></div>
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Allison Williams in <i>Girls</i></div>
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Christa Miller in <i>Cougar Town</i></div>
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<b>Best Supporting Actress in a Drama</b></div>
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Christina Hendricks in <i>Mad Men</i></div>
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Maisie Williams in <i>Game of Thrones</i></div>
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Mae Whitman in <i>Parenthood</i></div>
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Diane Ladd in<i> Enlightened</i></div>
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Anna Gunn in<i> Breaking Bad</i></div>
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Kiernan Shipka in <i>Mad Men</i></div>
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<b>Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy</b></div>
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Danny Pudi in <i>Community</i></div>
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Nick Offerman in <i>Parks & Recreation</i></div>
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Donald Glover in <i>Community</i></div>
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Chris Pratt in <i>Parks & Recreation</i></div>
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Jim Rash in <i>Community</i></div>
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Adam Pally in <i>Happy Endings</i></div>
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<b>Best Supporting Actor in a Drama</b></div>
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Giancarlo Esposito in <i>Breaking Bad</i></div>
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Aaron Paul in <i>Breaking Bad</i></div>
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Jonathan Banks in <i>Breaking Bad</i></div>
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Walton Goggins in <i>Justified</i></div>
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Neal McDonough in <i>Justified</i></div>
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Dean Norris in <i>Breaking Bad</i></div>
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<b>Best Writing for a Comedy</b></div>
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Dan Harmon & Chris McKenna for "Remedial Chaos Theory" (<i>Community</i>)</div>
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Dan Harmon & Matt Warburton for "Digital Estate Planning" (<i>Community</i>)</div>
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David Caspe, Lon Zimmet, & Dan Rubin for "Part of Six" (<i>Happy Endings</i>)</div>
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Bill Lawrence & Kevin Biegel for "My Life/Your World: Part 1" (<i>Cougar Town</i>)</div>
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Louis C.K. for "Duckling" (<i>Louie</i>)</div>
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Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, & Amy Poehler for "The Debate"<i> </i>(<i>Parks & Recreation</i>)</div>
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<b>Best Writing for a Drama</b></div>
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Vince Gilligan for "Face Off" (<i>Breaking Bad</i>)</div>
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Matthew Weiner & Semi Challas for "Far Away Places" (<i>Mad Men</i>)</div>
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Graham Yost & Fred Golan for "Slaughterhouse" (<i>Justified</i>)</div>
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George R.R. Martin for "Blackwater" (<i>Game of Thrones</i>)</div>
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Mike White for "Consider Helen" (<i>Enlightened</i>)</div>
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Matthew Weiner & Victor Levin for "Mystery Date" (<i>Mad Men</i>)</div>chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09766611910601990375noreply@blogger.com6