HSB Recommends: Ghost Adventures

Yes, HSB is back after an unscheduled hiatus in which Robin & I both pulled off long-distance moves. We are now reunited under one roof. The combined power of our snark and pop culture knowledge could probably be harnessed to power small pieces of industrial equipment, but unfortunately my poor grasp of physics makes it difficult to capitalize on that. Instead, we just watch Ghost Adventures. And behind-the-scenes videos of Ghost Adventures online. And read Ghost Adventures fan fiction.

Ahem.

 What is Ghost Adventures, you might ask? Oh, I don't know, only the best show on television.

2010 Emmys: Stream of Consciousness Edition

For the first time in recent memory, M & I were able to watch the Emmys telecast simultaneously -- albeit still in different cities.  After the jump: our take on the show as it happened.

Eric Stonestreet FTW! Hooray!

3 Things 'American Idol' Can Learn From 'So You Think You Can Dance'

So You Think You Can Dance winner Lauren Froderman

This week Lauren Froderman won the 7th season of So You Think You Can Dance, marking the end of a divisive but enormously entertaining season. While the decision to pair new contestants with returning All-Stars left some fans cold (as it eliminated the usual ongoing partnerships, among other reasons) I was excited to see some of my favorite dancers from past seasons get a chance to shine in their specialties. (I mean, who can argue with more Pasha Kovalev? Honestly, people.) While the ratings were lower than desired, the series hit new creative highs.

The Other Other Guys: The Movie I Wanted To See

Tonight I saw The Other Guys, the highly anticipated (well, by me, anyway) summer buddy-cop comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

On paper, it's a great movie.  And the previews do nothing to dispel that idea.  Wahlberg is a perfect short-tempered cop (remember his turn in The Departed?) and Ferrell can play a by-the-book innocent (see Stranger Than Fiction) as a seemingly ideal foil.  The great fun in the previews is our sense of recognition; when the cops encounter an explosion, they're not running away from it, jaws clenched and unflinching. Instead they're thrown back, and they writhe around on the ground complaining about blood blisters and soft tissue damage.  The two hotshot cops in the movie (Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson), in an insane chase scene, are called to account for incurring $12 million in damages on a misdemeanor arrest.

Given the previews, what I expected was an unconventional buddy comedy stemming from the disparity between action movie cliches and how an action movie would play out in real life, with unmistakably mortal heroes, even schlubs.

That wasn't exactly what I got.

HSB Recommends: The Good Guys

Summer has long been a disheartening season for TV fans, particularly in terms of the major networks. While cable and premium channels can boast new episodes of critical favorites like Mad Men and True Blood, viewers of the Big Four are stuck with tired reality shows and dusted-off reruns. One happy exception is Fox's The Good Guys.

Getting It Right: Three Things Hollywood Can Learn From Inception

By now, you've probably heard a lot about Christopher Nolan's Inception.  I saw the movie on opening weekend, walking into the theater with no more knowledge of the movie's plot than I had gleaned from the trailers, and I - along with the rest of the packed house - loved it.  I've since read mixed reviews.  I won't go into the criticisms of its detractors here: instead, here are three things I think Nolan did right, and why Hollywood should take a page from the Inception book.

Warning: mild spoilers ahead!

Get These Actors Together: Jon Hamm & Paul Rudd

Take a look at these two.  Now say it with me: "Awwwww."  (OK, maybe you didn't say "Awww." Maybe you drooled a little, or sighed loudly.  Or if you're a straight dude, you might have just rolled your eyes.)

But seriously.  Jon Hamm and Paul Rudd, you guys!  They're both incredibly handsome, skilled at both drama and comedy, successful in their careers ...

And they're longtime friends.

So answer me this: WHY in the name of all that is holy are they not also costars?  We at the HSB dare to imagine the awesomeness of a Hamm and Rudd double bill:

Network Affairs: BBC America

I love British television. In theory, thus, I should love BBC America. After all, that sounds like the channel for everything in British television, right? And surely, one would think, they would want to present a wide variety of the most excellent British programs available. Well, take a minute to look at the prime-time schedule, then we'll regroup.

May I Suggest An Intervention? Katherine Heigl Edition

Katherine Heigl is, by all accounts, a handful.

She's demanding.  She's outspoken.  She's difficult -- it's rumored that none of her leading men want to repeat the experience.  She has a positive knack for saying the wrong thing in almost every situation.  And her attempts to apologize - like this EW cover story a few months ago - come off as pretty insincere, even when it's clear she's struggling to play nice and say the right things.

But here's the thing: I kinda like her.

Happy Birthday!

In honor of my fellow HSB contributor and birthday girl Marisa, who is not in any way a chicken:

Enjoy.



Hollywood: let's get on this Arrested Development movie already. COME ON!

HSB Recommends: The Tobolowsky Files

The other day I was extremely pleased to find that one of my favorite workday time-wasters, had posted a story about the character actor Stephen Tobolowsky. Tobolowsky is a classic hey-it's-that-guy, most widely known as Ned Ryerson in the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day. Mention his name to most people and you'll get a blank stare in return; but mention Ned Ryerson and the light of comprehension dawns.

Guest Who? Emmys Edition

We at the HSB continue to share our thoughts about the 2010 Emmy Nominations. Next on the list: guest actors! As we've mentioned before, a good guest actor can blend seamlessly into a show, enhancing its strengths and downplaying its weaknesses. A good guest actor is one you want to see again. Unfortunately, producers and the like often get confused about the difference between casting a great guest actor and stunt-casting a really, really famous person. Not all star appearances are good, and not all good guest appearances are by big names. Here's how the 2010 nominations rank next to 2009:

Emmys Sidebar: the Voting Process

Every year we complain about the laziness of the Emmy voters. Here's a suggestion: why not require the voters to watch at least partial episodes -clips, even - of every show submitted in categories where they intend to cast their votes? My late stepmother was a member of the Television Academy, and I can verify that she definitely didn't watch every screener that came her way. (In fact, I was introduced to several television series through viewing of her unwanted screeners). After all, it's no surprise that voters choose established shows and actors for their ballots when they have little to no knowledge of the alternatives.

Barring that extreme, how about including critical input in the voting process? If these awards are truly meant to reflect the best in television, why not give the critics' opinions some weight? I'd trust Alan Sepinwall or the Entertainment Weekly staff any day over your average industry voter.

Hollywood: let's get on this!

2010 Emmy Nominations II: Supporting Boogaloo

Earlier we posted thoughts on the major category nominations for this year's Emmy Awards. Many of the best shows out there, however, are ensembles. Only one man and one woman can be nominated as leads for a given series, but there's no limit on the number of supporting nominations for a show -- so these categories are where the really outstanding casts get to shine. At least theoretically. All too often, the supporting nominations mirror the lead nominations - established shows, famous actors, etcetera, etcetera ...

Here are the HSB's thoughts on the 2010 Supporting Actor nominations, and how they stack up to last year's nods:

2010 Emmy Nominations

Today the 2010 Emmy nominations were announced. Pop culture junkies are already poring over the list for snubs and—less often—happy surprises. The Academy is notorious for out-of-touch nominations and omissions that leave tv critics weeping. Hollywood Suggestion Box wonders: Has the Academy learned anything since last year?

Reunion Request: Peter Krause & Josh Charles

Last month marked the release of the trailer for The Social Network, the new movie chronicling the development of Facebook. Admittedly, the trailer does leave one with some doubts as to how interesting or suspenseful such a film could possibly be ("The site got twenty-two hundred hits in two hours?" "Thousand. Twenty-two thousand."). But the film was written by Aaron Sorkin, the auteur best known for The West Wing. Although Sorkin has not always been reliable (the late, not-so-great Studio 60 pops to mind), his involvement is a reason for many fans of sharp writing and clever dialogue to keep an eye on The Social Network.

It's a Fixer-Upper: Can HIMYM Be Saved?

The other day two of my favorite bloggers, the Fug Girls, declared that Jason Segel's suggestions for how to end How I Met Your Mother (see this GQ profile) made them fall in love with him all over again.

I must admit that I'm intrigued by his suggestions, especially the dark idea that the stories are memories of a mother who has passed away. I love that a sad ending could retroactively color the entire story arc.

But of course that would be more effective if there were an actual story arc. The truth is, while the first two seasons of How I Met Your Mother remain some of the best sitcom episodes I've ever seen, the show has declined steadily in the past three. I appreciate that Segel, for one, will work the rest of his contract (until 2013) if need be, but most of the time I feel like this is a show that has overstayed its welcome, its premise, and the creativity of its writers.

Or then again, maybe it just needs a facelift. Here are some suggestions for how the once-great television series might revive itself:

It's Opposite Day!

Hollywood loves a cliche.

And don't get me wrong -- I do too. Give me a well-executed predictable story any day over an experimental mind-fuck. The Romeo and Juliet, the Cyrano de Bergerac, the Opposites Attract ... all of them can be twisted in boundless entertaining ways.

But here's one that, in my opinion, sorely lacks variety: the Ugly Duckling.

Hollywood loves to tell the story of a physically unattractive, somewhat socially inept Everyman whose innate goodness, smarts, or sense of humor somehow win the love of a physically (and usually in every other way) perfect specimen of the opposite sex. The problem is that the average Joe is always a guy.


I love me some Judd Apatow, but even he lacks imagination when it comes to the ladies. The only ordinary-looking women in his movies are in supporting parts, like Charlyne Yi's naked stoner in Knocked Up or the oversexed Jane Lynch in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Clearly he can appreciate female comedic talent. So why can't he write a feature around a unique comedienne the way he has around his schlubby male proteges?

Keep the Character, Ditch the Show: Spinoffs We Would Have Watched

Every so often a show makes enough of an impact that, towards the end of its lifespan, its creators - and let's not forget those helpful network execs - decide to prolong the party by shooting a spinoff. There are the classics-in-their-own-right (Laverne & Shirley, Frasier); the adequate younger siblings (Angel springs to mind); and the downright dreck (ahem, Joey, I'm looking at you).

In order to succeed, a spinoff needs its own premise -- something that engages the loyal carryover audience and draws in new viewers. It needs energy; you can't stick a set of writers and actors who are tired of the same old shtick into a new show and expect them to breathe life into, well, the same old shtick. But most of all it needs compelling characters.
Without one or more of the most interesting characters from the original series - those who routinely steal the scenes, elevate material that's far beneath them, and make the audience keep watching as the quality of the show declines - a spinoff can't succeed. Here are just a few characters I find absorbing enough to imagine an entire show around.

May I Suggest An Intervention? Jason Segel Edition

Well, it's Thursday, which at my office we like to call Snarky Thursday. So brace yourselves.

It's no secret that I am a Jason Segel fan. I've loved him since I first saw him walk the fine, fine line between sweet and creepy on Undeclared (since, of course, like everyone else, I managed to miss Freaks and Geeks during its actual television tenure). I've rejoiced in his success of the past few years, as his excellent work on How I Met Your Mother and his membership in the golden Judd Apatow League has paid off.

However, it must be said that with great celebrity comes great responsibility. And we the fans can't remain silent in our concern when someone as talented as Segel starts to go off the rails. And oh, Jason, honey, your fans expect better from you.

Exhibit A: Jason in his young, unsuccessful days toiling in obscurity on Freaks and Geeks.


Cute, right? So young! So curly-headed! So clean-cut! (Particularly when you consider he's playing a perpetual stoner, and that according to his interviews - and Seth Rogen's - none of those guys were exactly unfamiliar with that lifestyle).


Exhibit B: The early days of How I Met Your Mother.

OK, he's gained some weight, but I think he wears it well. He looks more mature, right? He's got shorter hair, maybe a little more product, but still with the boy-next-door appeal in a 6'4" man. Plus he's playing Marshall Eriksen, who is in fact my favorite Segel character -- a lot of endearing goofiness, a bit of swagger, and a few healthy dashes of crazy, with a nice balance overall. Believable, attractive, but still hilarious.

Say it with me: Awwwww. Don't you want to take him home?

NO. No, you do not. Trust me. Even if you didn't read the incredibly disturbing Rolling Stone profile awhile back in which he mentions both his mansion full of puppets and his night terrors, and also in which Russell freaking Brand describes him as a manwhore, I give you:

I Don't Like How You Say With Your Face All Scrunched Up: You're French, Aren't You?

We at the Hollywood Suggestion Box are language nerds. We're almost indecently prejudiced in favor of actors with adorable foreign accents. We believe it to be a sin when an actor with a perfectly lovely Scottish accent, for instance, acts only in American accents. (This is of course no issue for the wonderful Ewan MacGregor, who has a long tradition of playing inexplicably Scottish characters in otherwise run-of-the-mill American settings. Scottish janitor? Check. Jumpy Scottish convenience store robber? Check. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera ...)

Read Me A Story, You Guys

I've been hearing a familiar voice on TV a lot lately.


Jon Hamm, he of Mad Men (and several unforgettable 30 Rock spots) is narrating commercials for both Mercedes-Benz and Comcast. I'm not likely to buy from either company any time soon, but I think Hamm's character Don Draper would approve of the ads anyway because a) I listen to them every time they come on, b) I can remember the products they're selling (generally, anyway - at least I get the brands right), and c) Hamm's voice makes me think "Ooh, sexy," and I'm sure on some subconscious level that I'll be associating that with the products. Well done, faceless advertising execs.

Adapt This Author: Meg Cabot

To tell the truth, my favorite books are all found in the children's and young adult sections of the library. J.K. Rowling, L.M. Montgomery, Roald Dahl, Madeleine L'Engle: the list goes on and on. Even now I'm still finding children's and young adult authors to love. One of my favorite discoveries from the last few years is Meg Cabot.

Cabot is best known for her young adult series The Princess Diaries, which follows a funny, engaging, insecure teenager in New York who discovers that she is actually the princess of a small principality in Europe. Despite the fairy-tale nature of the conceit, the books are down-to-earth and the characters relatable and real.

I've read a smattering of her young adult books and nearly all of her adult novels since I first found The Princess Diaries, and I've enjoyed every one. Cabot's characters are universally charming, and she writes adult romantic comedy as well as teenage fantasy.

Guest Who?

As someone whose Netflix queue is 95% television, I spend plenty of time thinking about ways to make my favorite shows even better. I'm almost always far more interested in character development than any other aspect of a TV program. I'll keep watching long after the plot has gone off the rails so long as my favorite characters remain consistent -- and consistently entertaining.
Case in point: I sat through the entire second season of Heroes, which was one of the worst sophomore slumps I've ever seen, solely because of Zachary Quinto's gleeful, hammy psychopath Sylar. On the other hand, I've pretty much sworn off How I Met Your Mother, formerly one of my favorite shows, because of the way its writers have destroyed characters' continuity and likeability in the last few seasons.

A crucial factor in the success or failure of a show's character development is the integration of its guest stars. Some shows get it right (The Big Bang Theory comes to mind, with Wil Wheaton playing himself as a hilarious nemesis for Sheldon) and some, well, don't (ahem, How I Met Your Mother, with stunt casting choices like a wooden Britney Spears). Famous guest stars draw ratings; they can also draw the audience out of a necessary suspension of disbelief. But if it's done right, the guest star fits into the cast perfectly (Jon Hamm on 30 Rock, anyone?) and makes you wish the role were permanent.

Reunion Request: Paul Rudd & Alicia Silverstone

"Hey, James Bond, in America we drive on the right side of the road."
"I am! You try driving in platforms."


Clueless is the gold standard for several genres: teen romantic comedy, subtle Jane Austen adaptation, instant '90s nostalgia-maker ....

While I enjoy every part of the movie, from Tai sobbing over "El-Uhn" to Travis Birkenstock trying to jump out of a first-floor window after receiving his failing grade, it was undeniably the romance between Cher and Josh that first drew me in.

Steal This Actor: Jason Dohring

I'll be honest: I hadn't intended to watch Lie to Me on Monday. After watching an episode of the show earlier this year, I found the cases of international lying-liar expert Cal Lightman to be inoffensive, but generally uncompelling. Since we're in the summer tv doldrums, though, I left it on the other night, where it was working primarily as a dispenser of white noise. And then I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey," I thought. "I recognize that obligatory psychotic jackass."

Get This Man An Emmy: Zach Gilford

For those of us who have watched and loved the last three seasons of Friday Night Lights, it's been incredibly frustrating to watch the Television Academy snub the show and its superlative writing, acting and directing time after time. Connie Britten and Kyle Chandler, as well as supporting cast members like Taylor Kitsch and minor players like Brad Leland and Louanne Stephens, are so naturalistic that I sometimes think that the Academy voters must be confused and mistake the show for a documentary. Like The Wire, it's too good for its own good.

Brilliant But Canceled

"It's a shame that we'll never know
The conclusion to our favourite shows
We will never know the outcome
Of those fanciful lives on TV..."
--Asthmaboy, "Down to the Puget Sound"

In no particular order, the top five shows I'd travel back in time to prolong if Hollywood were my oyster:

1. Freaks and Geeks (1999 - 2000)
This now-legendary period piece created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow is a punch-you-in-the-gut realistic look at high schoolers on the fringe. It may be
set in 1980s Michigan, but the show itself feels universal. My personal favorite characters are the perennially hopeful-yet-dopey Nick Andopolis (mostly thanks to Jason Segel's absolute fearlessness in creating cringeworthy comedic moments); sweet, unguarded Sam Weir, who despite his lack of social confidence is a natural leader among his friends; and above all, perhaps the most heartbreakingly realistic geek ever seen on television, Bill Haverchuck. Ever since I first saw the show I've followed the careers of its stars, and I cheer as if for an old friend or family member every time a Freaks and Geeks alum pops up on television or the big screen.

2. Undeclared (2001 - 2002)
Another failed Apatow production, this half-hour comedy lasted less than a season. I was one of very few people who happened to catch the show as it aired, and it actually led me to watch Freaks and Geeks on DVD later on. I
was in college at the time, and what drew me in as a fan of Undeclared was
the realism. Seth Rogen, a star and writer of the show, got all the details right, from Jay Baruchel's Snood tee-shirt to the awkwardness of being sexiled by a roommate. This was no musty middle-aged interpretation of life for my generation.

Like Fantasy Moguls, But Geekier

So awhile back I remember reading about this game called Fantasy Moguls. The gimmick was that it was a sort of movie lovers' fantasy baseball, except with movie studios rather than ball clubs. You could be the head of a fantasy movie studio, and given a "budget," you could slate actual movies for your studio. As in baseball, the object, of course, was to win; and winning this game depended on your skill at predicting box-office success.

The first time I heard about Fantasy Moguls I had the knee-jerk reaction that I would love it. My best friends are all people with whom I can hold forth for hours about books, television and movies, and actors' names and filmographies take up space in my brain the way that batting averages occupy some. As I read the game's description, however, my thoughts moved from these are my people to wait, how is this different from, well, fantasy investment bankers?

See, in sports, though some players end up inevitably disappointing the managers, owners, coaches and fans, most of the time it's pretty easy to judge success objectively. Most baseball stars are famous because they're incredibly talented, and that makes them fun to watch. If they remain healthy and whole, you can count on them sticking around for a long time. Ticket sales are almost always linked to the ability of the players.

Box office profits are not. After all, the number one movie this past year was entirely CGI and, as I understand it, had almost no plot and a mostly forgettable cast. Exciting videogame visuals apparently go a long way in hypnotizing the public, and the unfortunate result is that we're looking at years and years of headaches caused by 3D glasses.

Perhaps my way of looking at things is overly feminine -- a non-competitive, let's-all-play-cooperatively spin on the fantasy of controlling pop culture -- but I think the real fun lies in the what-ifs inspired by our subjective opinions. Who's your dream team for a film version of your favorite book? Which actors are naturals to play relatives but have, for whatever reason, never met? Which television shows would you bring back if you could, or cut shorter even if you loved them to begin with? In whose personal lives do you wish you could play God?

Enter the Hollywood Suggestion Box.