Nick has a Really Big Shovel

Got another rant based on a PR-frenzy

Is it just me or does Nick seem to be trying their best to shovel "One Direction" down (or up) everyone's #$@&# ?? Now, I'm not a pre-teen girl so I'm far from their fan base but Nick seems bent on plastering them anywhere and everywhere they can. Even Disney's mixed in the fray just a little bit as well.

They are even hyping this "1D" more than their Obama re-election efforts with Michelle or the efforts to make Rachel Crow (wherever she came from) a household name.

Every generation has their boy-band. I lived thru "The Monkees" with my older sister and look at "Big Time Rush" as their modern-day replacements.

Then there's "nSync" "Back Street Boys" "New Kids on the Block" and "Boyz II Men" (in no real order) and I'm sure I'm leaving out a few groups. So just add this group of teens in with them.

Nick's got their work cut out for them! "1D" are already fighting with their management over money (and music), being 'controlled' so they don't become the negative influence they want to be and they appear to be getting along only when a camera is around them. There's been reports of fights with their own security over wanting girlfriends for sleepovers and at least one of the group has been dragged on the carpet and told to become a team player again quickly!

I hope Nick does not think this "1D" is the next "Big Time Rush"! Their appearance on iCarly shows acting is not something they can list on their resume.

While "BTR" is a group put together to make a comedy show, I think they surprised the powers at Nick at just how good they are together both on-screen and off. Zero drama, hard working and clearly in it for the long haul, these four guys do appear to have become life-long friends who have each other's backs.

I will not be on this earth in 40 years, but the world will know who "Big Time Rush" is (that's 'is' and not 'was') just like we know of "The Beatles" and "The Monkees". In another year or two nobody will remember who was a part of the former "One Direction" - just wait and see!

Nick's done a great job supporting "BTR" so far and they need to keep the fires buring as this cash-cow's got a great deal of milk left.

Is Nick playing 'Gustavo Rocque' with "1D" who said he could turn a dog into a rock star? Does the promo department of Nick realize that Gustavo Rocque is a make-believe character?

I think 'they' (those suits in the promo department) are about to get burned and burned badly.

UPDATE 09-14-12:

Keeping up with Nick’s idea of being a role model for our young people, one of this group has just moved into his own place with his girlfriend. And after this he got in trouble trying to sneak an under-age fan past his own security into his hotel room! Like I’d want a kid of mine to hero worship this lot.

I have noticed that the level of hype from Nick has slowed down in regards to 1D, and Big Time Rush has been given a green light for another season even before all of the current seasons episodes have aired. Since Nick axed ‘Victorious’ and ‘How to Rock’ I was worried for the series, but not the guys who are set for many years more of fame if they so desire. BTR opened their latest summer tour in my hometown and the armies of tweens that besieged my downtown area to see them was impressive!

Being “Touch”ed by a new FOX show

Touch (Fox 2012)

I’m trying to figure out what it is about this show that I am finding so ‘touching’ (pun intended). There’s been so very-very few shows on any of the networks/cable channels over the past few years that I could even stand 5 minutes of. The pilot of this a few weeks ago have me crying, and I still don’t know what it is. Having ZERO interest in the former ‘24’ series it’s sure not the lead actor so it has to be the writing and the subject matter. Just how long can the writers keep this up? I am going to hang around every week to see. The 3rd episode did have a weak sub-plot of a little kid rap-dancing or whatever. The building of Danny Glover’s character is a very good idea, always liked that guy since “Angels in the Outfield” years ago.

(Photo is © Fox Television)

I do not believe in “coincidence” at all so maybe that’s why I like this show. I know everything – and I mean everything – happens for a reason/purpose. Just what that reason/purpose is we are not always in line to know.

Another thing this series does, like USA Network’s “Monk”, is to try and show us that being ‘different’ only means living outside the expected ‘normal’ that society sets up, and that 'difference’ is just that person’s normal. Get over it and love ‘em.

Penguins of Madagascar

This is really a rant! I'm caught watching this cartoon all the time, I love it! This is not about the art, the stories, or production but rather trying to get a real list of episodes! You Can't Do It!! Every English-speaking country has been getting these episodes in different order, some episodes appear here, not there or there and not here! In the USA I've counted 14 episodes that have not appeared here, ten of those have yet to appear anywhere!

And so far season 2 is over 18 months long! Just yesterday (August 20, 2011) there was another 1/2 hour special which Nick advertised only for a few days. The ads call it "Operation: Vacation", the title card in the episode says it is "Hoboken Surprise" and neither title can be found on any of the five episode lists I try to follow!! TIVO called it season two.

At the end of the show there's an ad for a September 9, 2011 1-hour Penguins of Madagascar special featuring the return of Dr. Blowhole and guest-stars "Alex the Lion". Just wonder if 'they' consider this the end of season two (Finally!) or the start of season three (Finally!).

I just want to have a good list so I know if there's any of these great episodes I've missed (and I have in the past)

UPDATE: 04-24-2012

Last week Nick gave up 5 new single episodes (for my area anyway) and 1 30-minute special for Earth Day. I noticed on TiVo that 4 of six had a season 3 tag! While that’s great, all six of the episodes had a copyright at the end of 2010. This is giving me hope that it is not the end for this series yet I wonder if any really new episodes have been produced or if Nick has just rat-holed some episodes and are releasing them a few at a time with this batch an advertising tie-in to the new Madagascar 3 feature film that my grandson is jumping up and down waiting for.

UPDATE: 09-14-2012

There’s no ‘official’ word from Nick on this but I think we’re at the end for this cartoon. The toon is totally off the Nick schedule and is only on the Nicktoons line-up. Over at Dreamworks I’ve noticed that all the names associated with the series are now very busy with various new projects. If this is the case, it’s been a great ride and the last episode they showed was just as fresh as the first which is a rare thing indeed. I still have a list of some episode titles that were secured copyrights but not shown (at least in my area) so maybe there will be some new treats in the future.

Surprised about Surprise Homecoming

Surprise Homecoming

TLC started up a Reality Series with host Billy Ray Cyrus called "Surprise Homecoming". It's a great 'feel good' series where secret arragements are made for a Military member to be able to make a surprise visit to a loved one or two or three and so on.
It's the only Reality Series I've bothered to watch more than 30 seconds of since the start of this reality craze years ago.
What really burns my knickers is that this is about the only series that TLC has ever tried that is not trying to re-educate people to what the liberal left wants or trying to make Christians the bad guys and just tearing down the moral fiber of this country.
They must know it because you can go to their site and find out tons of information on all their shows on the schedule ----- except for this one! It's on the TV Schedule but it you want infomation about the series you have to go and google it (or yahoo it). Maybe 'they' are just working on a page for the show.
If you love our G.I.'s like I do, don't miss this show. It's great to see the support system that so many family members have. God Bless each and every one of them!

Ruby and the Rockits

Ruby and The Rockits (ABC Family, 8/2009)

David stars with his half-brother (I hate that term), Patrick in a new sitcom, written and produced by another brother, Shaun. Frankly I think the Cassidy boys have a real gem on their hands. I've really enjoyed "The Partridge Family" and have had a real festival since the series was released on DVD's.

Shaun is really the amazing one here. Look at what this Hardy Boy has produced in the past! Roar (1997) which I think is one of the best fantasy adventures ever made, a few of the American Gothic episodes (1995) which is still part of my nightmares, Invasion (2005) and a host of other drama episodes around the tube. Now he's gone from dark dramas to a light, uplifting comedy! Amazing switch-over.

Here's a screen capture of David from 1970:

And here he is from the 1st

"Ruby" show this year:

David's still got it as far as I'm concerned. The singing voice is still going strong as he turns 60. I know he's had his issues, but this show proves real talent never leaves. And should have been around on TV about ten times more than he has been.

Brother Patrick has been all over the TV screen since 1980, never anything major, but he must be good to be able to work so much in so many dramas. I just never knew he had a singing voice!

How and why did they leave out the 4th and youngest Cassidy brother, Ryan? He's got to become a regular or a re-occuring guest star on this series, come on Shaun, let's make this a full family affair.... and you're Mom, Shirley's still got it too!


David's "daughter" in the series is played by Alexa Vega, I just knew I knew that face from somewhere..... that's our Spy Kid (Carmen) all grown up, OK, at least to age 21, playing a teenager. And again, I would have never guessed that she had such a voice either.

This series is a gem. My advice to the ABC (Always Bloated Crap) Family channel is to dump the other garbage and lean heavy into this one. In comedy, timing is everything. I have always considered David as having it, now I see it's a family trait and the cast 'family' is catching it as well.

Since Canada's "Corner Gas" stopped production I didn't think I'd ever find another new sitcom that I would enjoy. Sure am glad I kept looking and I will keep looking at this one every week. Looking forward to Alexa and cast's music CD release... it has to happen!!

Update May, 2010: Kinda let things slide a bit and not posted anything for ages. What is totally official is that "ABC Family" (A New Kind of Family) axed this show. It did not fit into Disney's new idea of "Family" since there was nobody having sex with under-age teens, no sodimites, not even the dad was having sex with his kids.... just not what ABC Family wants to shove down our necks. Well, the ONLY show I've ever bothered to watch on their network is gone so I've even removed the channel from my lineup so my remote just passes it by. I'll stick with the Original Kind of Family myself.

Lotsa Luck!

Lotsa Luck! NBC ran this single-season sitcom from 9/73 to 3/74. The main player was Dom DeLuise who was really in his prime when it came to the one-liners and firing the come-backs to fellow cast members which included Kathleen Freeman as his mother. You will be hard pressed to find a series on TV in 50s, 60s and 70s that she did not do something in. Loved her as the housekeeper (her normal role) in the "Topper" TV series in the early 50s. She worked right up to her death in 2001, with a voice-over role in "Shrek". A bit-part in the show was done by Jack Knight who's been working steady since 1973 and again, still hard working at age 71.

I have love Dom in nearly everything he did on TV and movies. In his case, the apple did not fall far from the tree. There's tons of father-son, mother-daughter actors in Hollywood but few look and act like this father-son pair.

David DeLuise, who's staring on the Teen comedy, "Wizards of Waverly Place" on the Dizzy Channel, looks - talks - walks - and acts like his dad. I think he's been wasted as a comic talent until now and the writers can't give him the space he deserves because it's a kid show. Sure do hope he gets his own show soon.

Now I've got to get off my lazy can and capture the theme song from "Lotsa Luck"!

Lotsa Luck was one of the USA's better efforts at redoing a good British sitcom. This was directly based on the hit series, "On the Buses" which ran from 1969-1973. Our USA version says it was "Created" by Carl Reiner (along with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff). If you take somebody else's product and just rework it, is that a 'creation'? I don't think so.

This has tons of guest stars you know by face if you're a classic TV fan. This includes Mel Carter in episode 14 and Ruth Buzzi in episode 15. And you can't miss a very, very young Suzanne Somers in episode 21.

For information about the 22-episode run, start at:
http://epguides.com/LotsaLuck/

Mr. Terrific!

Mr. Terrific! CBS aired 17 episode of this satire from January to May of 1967, never to rerun, at least in my area. The show had a direct compeditor in "Captain Nice" on NBC which had the exact same running dates. The difference is, Carter Nash has been seen in reruns and on VHS over and over again.

http://epguides.com/MrTerrific/ (More Info on Stanley)

Now, thanks to being alerted to a post of a German run of the series, I have the 17 episodes. The episodes were captured with the English sound track. Had to work the first episode's theme song a bit and the Title card you see here is not there, it's in German instead and the series is called "Immer Wenn er Pillen Nahm", which translates to "Every time it took Pills". Still, after 42 years of searching for these I am very excited!!! I've had episodes 101 & 106 from TV-Land but I could not talk them into the full series, the suits said the ratings just were not there. There's a lot of fun in these.

The star of this show's side-kick/gas station partner/roommate was Dick (Richard) Gautier, who is better known as "Hymie the robot" in the Get Smart series and lots of people don't know that he's done voice-overs in tons of cartoons such as Transformers and G.I. Joe.

s01e05 The Formula Is Stolen 02/06/1967 has Richard Dawson guest staring and he's cracking a safe, just as if he was in Stalag 13.