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.