TV Highs & Lows, 2005

Adam's Apple

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Apr 25, 2004
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Fine Moments, New Lows on Television in 2005
By Maureen Ryan and Sid Smith, The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune

December 28, 2005

It's impossible to sum up 365 days of television, but the dozen below highlight some of the most memorable people, trends and moments from the TV year we leave behind:

1. 2005: A great year for undertakers. Mortality has been everywhere: Just a few of the high-profile deaths include Julius Caesar and Niobe on "Rome," stepsiblings Boone and Shannon on "Lost," Rex and the homicidal wacko pharmacist George on "Desperate Housewives" and (or so we thought, at least for a week) John Abruzzi on "Prison Break." And the creme de la creme of requiems: The entire cast of "Six Feet Under."

2. Most Worn-out Welcome: Joey on "Joey." (Producers, see item No. 1 for a tip on how to end this torture.)

3. Most Heartbreaking Cancellations: "Joan of Arcadia" (we still miss that show's wit, sincerity and heart), "Arrested Development" (the good news: It's not officially canceled. The better news: It might be rescued by another network. Thanks, TV Santa!)

4. Most Watchable Jerks: Neil Patrick Harris, erasing "Doogie Howser" memories and finding a rare second act as Barney, an obnoxious, would-be stud on "How I Met Your Mother." And Jeremy Piven is scintillating as "Entourage's" Ari Gold, who's utterly devious, selfish, abusive (to his long-suffering assistant Lloyd, among others) and ridiculously funny. We'll never know exactly why we root so much for this foul-mouthed agent, but we do.

5. Most Memorable Moments: The stunning reunion of various couples, with varying degrees of separation, loss, pain and love, on a recent episode of "Lost." For one, brief shining moment (especially when Rose and Bernard embraced), the show could have been renamed "Found." Other "holy-cow moments": John O'Hurley and his partner losing on "Dancing With the Stars"; computer nerd Chloe blowing away bad guys on "24"; a Cylon shooting Commander Adama in the "Battlestar Galactica" Season 1 finale; the bad guys kidnapping Walt from the raft on "Lost"; columnist Robert Novak storming off a CNN talk show in a huff; fan favorite Austin Scarlett getting cut from "Project Runway"; the one-armed sheriff's deputy on "Invasion" miraculously getting a new arm that he's then forced to saw off; and Ken Jennings finally losing after an epic run on "Jeopardy!"

6. Biggest Sign of Hope for TV News: The heartbreaking and incisive reporting from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. There was one jaw-dropping moment after another, as Shepard Smith, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn, Ted Koppel and others put faces to the despair of New Orleans and took public officials to task for the botched relief of the ravaged Gulf region.

7. Worst Moments: The finale of "The Bachelorette" (Jen Schefft, may we please have that three hours of our lives back?); every single second of "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic"; MTV's abysmal coverage of the Live 8 concerts (watching the concerts online was a zillion times better); the lack of hatch-tastic resolution on the Season 1 finale of "Lost."

8. Most Memorable Oprah Moments: Gifting Katrina relief workers on her "Favorite Things" episode; using her show to get pedophiles arrested; hosting an excitable Tom Cruise, who had just started dating some girl (we can't recall her name); her pal Terry McMillan confronting her gay ex-husband on the air. And, of course, revisiting David Letterman's show, finally.

9. Best Escape from Death: Reality TV. Every year, reality TV is declared dead, then along come some entertaining new shows to revitalize the genre. Let's see, this past year, we reveled in "Project Runway," "Beauty and the Geek," "Dancing With the Stars," "Brat Camp" and "Rock Star: INXS," not to mention stalwarts such as "Survivor" and the Boston Rob/Amber edition of "The Amazing Race."

10. Trend We'd Most Like to Stop in Its Tracks: Please, can we declare a moratorium on cops, lawyers, evidence technicians and serial killers on TV? Oh, what we'd give for a nice ensemble drama about . . . postal workers. Electricians. Ballet dancers. Anything but cops and killers!

11. The Comebacks That Worked/Fizzled: Martha Stewart's
"Apprentice" was nothing on the Donald's (which was itself pretty blah -- again) and her chat show has all the warmth of a Sub-Zero freezer. Lisa Kudrow was great as the selfish yet vulnerable Valerie Cherish on "The Comeback," but the HBO show never found an audience. "Lost," on the other hand, came back with a terrifically wild and woolly Season 2 opener, and the occasionally blah "West Wing" is on a roll with its live debate and exciting election story line.

12. Our Wish List: That once ABC kills the terrible new version of "Nightline," the network gives that valuable slot to Jon Stewart and his "Daily Show" crew. That we never have to hear, read, see or otherwise experience any coverage of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie or any of the cast members of "Laguna Beach" in 2006. That all of our favorite shows are available on demand, for free, all the time, anywhere. Hey, it's a wish list, right?
 
I do not have a TV at home.

However, when visiting others, as during Xmas holidays
I have a chance to see what all the 100-700+ channels
are all about.

They suck, they really suck, they totally suck.

I think TV destroys the intellect, and is the #1 reason,
outweighing all others combined, why even college
graduates remain functionally illiterate to such an
appalling degree.

My advice to the bozarts of the world, all 5-6 billion
of them, embracing all races, creeds, and colors on
all continents, is throw to goddam idiot box away,
and don't ever buy another.

If you gotta watch some steroid-bloated goons
run into, over, and around each other, then go
to Hooters, where at least you got something
to gawk at during the commercials.
 
USViking said:
I do not have a TV at home.

However, when visiting others, as during Xmas holidays
I have a chance to see what all the 100-700+ channels
are all about.

They suck, they really suck, they totally suck.

I think TV destroys the intellect, and is the #1 reason,
outweighing all others combined, why even college
graduates remain functionally illiterate to such an
appalling degree.


My advice to the bozarts of the world, all 5-6 billion
of them, embracing all races, creeds, and colors on
all continents, is throw to goddam idiot box away,
and don't ever buy another.

If you gotta watch some steroid-bloated goons
run into, over, and around each other, then go
to Hooters, where at least you got something
to gawk at during the commercials.
:thup:
 
USViking said:
...I have a chance to see what all the 100-700+ channels
are all about. They suck, they really suck, they totally suck.

I totally agree. We get some 80+ channels on our cable hookup, and we watch probably no more than a total of 6, with a few more thrown in for occasional viewing (Animal Planet, Discovery, History). The rest are a total waste of money.
 
10. Trend We'd Most Like to Stop in Its Tracks: Please, can we declare a moratorium on cops, lawyers, evidence technicians and serial killers on TV? Oh, what we'd give for a nice ensemble drama about . . . postal workers. Electricians. Ballet dancers. Anything but cops and killers!

Amen to that.
 
I'd like to see the trend to have at least ONE gay character on EVERY new show.

God Bless Lost for just being about people - leaving out the token homo.
God Bless BSG for being a FANTASTIC Show; very well written and acted. Production is top-notch. It's likely the most realistic space show EVER. (note the period)

:D

Female Cylon Chick = All kinds of hot.
http://www.space-debris.com/sci_helfer_web.jpg
 
Fine Moments, New Lows on Television in 2005

I take some satisfaction that only two of these things are even recognizable to me:

computer nerd Chloe blowing away bad guys on "24"; a Cylon shooting Commander Adama in the "Battlestar Galactica" Season 1 finale

The first because I just randomly caught that episode (every season I try to watch the whole thing through, but inevitably by the 4th or 5th week I've completely missed an episode and I give up).

The second because...I can't believe that bitch shot Adama!!! It's alright though, he lived.

USViking said:
is throw to goddam idiot box away, and don't ever buy another.

If you gotta watch some steroid-bloated goons run into, over, and around each other, then go to Hooters, where at least you got something to gawk at during the commercials.


First, I don't watch much 'TV' on my TV, but I do watch movies, and I think there are definetely many movies worth watching.

Second, I think there are also a few television programs worth watching, including on channels like the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel, not to mention fictional story programs that make you think. Now admitedly, most of the time I watch these programs it's only a matter of seconds before I'm staring through the television lost in thought about something or other, but the fact remains that something on that television prompted the thought to begin with.

Third, sports are another thing entirely. There is very little meaningful difference between watching a sport in person and watching it via television. Either way I will be drinking beer and eating garbage food. And sports are great because they display the best in human competitiveness (except when people showboat, or dance, or complain, or taunt, or otherwise act like children). Case in point, the Winter Olympics are almost here, and I will watch as much of it as I can.
 
Zhukov said:
I take some satisfaction that only two of these things are even recognizable to me:



The first because I just randomly caught that episode (every season I try to watch the whole thing through, but inevitably by the 4th or 5th week I've completely missed an episode and I give up).

The second because...I can't believe that bitch shot Adama!!! It's alright though, he lived.




First, I don't watch much 'TV' on my TV, but I do watch movies, and I think there are definetely many movies worth watching.

Second, I think there are also a few television programs worth watching, including on channels like the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel, not to mention programs that make you think. Now admitedly, most of the time I watch these programs it's only a matter of seconds before I'm staring through the television lost in thought about something or other, but the fact remains that something on that television prompted the thought to begin with.

Third, sports are another thing entirely. There is very little meaningful difference between watching a sport in person and watching it via television. Either way I will be drinking beer and eating garbage food. And sports are great because they display the best in human competitiveness (except when people showboat, or dance, or complain, or taunt, or otherwise act like children). Case in point, the Winter Olympics are almost here, and I will watch as much of it as I can.


For me, only 24. I thought I was the only one! :laugh: I don't know the rest of them.
 
Kathianne said:
For me, only 24. I thought I was the only one! :laugh: I don't know the rest of them.


only have 33 channels on local basic cable...mostly watch the news,History channel,SciFi,Discovery,TLC,and Fox Movie channel..only costs $15.00 per month! ;)

and the National Geographic channel isn't too bad either!
 
archangel said:
only have 33 channels on local basic cable...mostly watch the news,History channel,SciFi,Discovery,TLC,and Fox Movie channel..only costs $15.00 per month! ;)

and the National Geographic channel isn't too bad either!

If I lived alone that would work. I just need the news and CSpan and yeah, History Channel. But dad does every sport, does watching people play poker or pool count?, known to man. The kids, movies, movies, and more movies.
 
I've got basic for THC, TDC, FOXNEWS, Sci-Fi, and a couple others.

Which leaves nearly 60 channels I never watch, yet pay for.

I really wish there was an a la carte cable provider so I could dump the networks, dump the spanish channels, the home shopping channels, the women's channels, the "music" channels, the other news channels, the religious channels, the cooking channels (I used to watch Iron Chef, but if I had to pay individually for that channel? nope), and any other channels I can't think of right now.
 
Kathianne said:
If I lived alone that would work. I just need the news and CSpan and yeah, History Channel. But dad does every sport, does watching people play poker or pool count?, known to man. The kids, movies, movies, and more movies.



nah this is more along the lines of watching tennis...like watching cement set...how boring...ya better take old dad to the race track...or camping or anything but sports on TV! :cof:
 
archangel said:
nah this is more along the lines of watching tennis...like watching cement set...how boring...ya better take old dad to the race track...or camping or anything but sports on TV! :cof:


He's just getting out of the hospital today, again. I think I'll let him keep the t.v. :laugh: btw, he does the track, golf. Can't see him camping, but not me either!
 
Kathianne said:
He's just getting out of the hospital today, again. I think I'll let him keep the t.v. :laugh: btw, he does the track, golf. Can't see him camping, but not me either!


then again I guess some prefer the comfort of home...so get a RV! Ya can take a little of home with ya...or do the Motel Six route...but this will limit your experience...or just stay home and stare at the Boob tube! :D
 
archangel said:
then again I guess some prefer the comfort of home...so get a RV! Ya can take a little of home with ya...or do the Motel Six route...but this will limit your experience...or just stay home and stare at the Boob tube! :D


I don't do television much, but Motel 6? I don't think so. Holiday Inn is about as rough as I want to get on a trip. If I don't have the $$ to spare, I'd rather stay home and read about it.

It's a choice thing, I'd rather have the nicer hotel, nice restaurants and fewer vacations. I'm sure I'd see more if I would change, but don't want to!
 
Kathianne said:
I don't do television much, but Motel 6? I don't think so. Holiday Inn is about as rough as I want to get on a trip. If I don't have the $$ to spare, I'd rather stay home and read about it.

It's a choice thing, I'd rather have the nicer hotel, nice restaurants and fewer vacations. I'm sure I'd see more if I would change, but don't want to!



let's not experience life let's just watch others have fun...try watching the 'real tv' program "Dirty Jobs" very entertaining and ya don't get your hands dirty...however ya will miss actual life experience! Never fails to amaze me how people talk about life yet fail to go out and experience it 'First Hand"...kinda sad really!

Different strokes. As I said, to me going in RV or on cheap, would just be depressing. On the other hand, good for you!

I don't do 'reality tv'. :puke:
 
Said1 said:
I don't have cable at all anymore. We get about 5 channels - upstairs.

Damn and what about downstairs....lol Then again ya are probably getting the bleed effect of your neighbors cabel...now thats economical..kudos to you!
 

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