Shrink Blog

The Fall TV Season So Far - Reality Shows

2009-11-12T08:03:00.001-05:00

Our review of the TV season so far continues with a look at three reality shows:

Amazing Race - Every season it feels like this show can't get any better, then each season is just a little better than the last. With only one clunker of a season (the family experiment), this show is the most consistent of them all and the best reality show on the air. There's a reason why it has won an Emmy for Best Reality Show for seven years in a row. (A)

Survivor - This is a decidedly "been there, done that" season. The show has finally become a bore and the attempt to portray Russell as some sort of evil mastermind rings false. He may be evil but he's no mastermind. As tonight's show proved, though, the man can find himself an immunity idol! Jeff Probst is still in top form, but the franchise feels tired. (B-)

So You Think You Can Dance - In my view, this is one of the most underrated shows on the air. It's thoroughly entertaining and well worth your time. It's one of only three shows I won't miss each week. (A-)

The Fall TV Season So Far - Talk Shows

2009-11-10T08:05:00.000-05:00

There are a bunch of talk shows on the air right now, mostly because they are cheap to produce. Here's a look at the throng:

Jay Leno - For those of you who read this blog semi-regularly, you know I was among the few who thought the Jay Leno Show started well. I thought the first episode showed promise. Since then, though, I have to be honest and join the throngs who think this was a big mistake. Leno seems defeated and discouraged. The whole enterprise has become tedious and almost unwatchable. There is no wonder the show has lost nearly all its audience. If they want to salvage the show, they need to get an entirely new writing staff, get better guests, and rework the format entirely. (D+)

Conan - Conan has worked out some of the early jitters and seems to have a sense of confidence in his new gig. There have been some good moments, but the show is a pretty big disappointment for me. When he's really clicking, he's great, but those moments are the exception rather than the rule. The trend seems to be in the right direction, though, so I am still hopeful. (B-)

Jimmy Fallon - I must admit I don't stay up that much to watch Fallon like I used to with Conan, but he makes for an affable host and has a nice rapport with his guests. He seems like a good choice for the program and my guess is that he will be there for a long time. (B)

Jimmy Kimmel - Last year, Kimmel seemed to peak, but hasn't been able to hold onto the creative mojo he had going. This isn't a show you look forward to seeing, but one that you might watch if you are channel surfing. It's not bad, but he seems to be trending in the wrong direction. (B-)

Craig Ferguson - I've never watching the show much until this year, but I have to admit that Ferguson may be one of the most talented guys on all of television. He has a sharp mind and a remarkable wit that makes him a joy to watch. If you haven't checked out the show yet, it's worth setting your DVR to record it for a few nights. (B+)

Wanda Sykes - She's a funny person, but her debut was entirely forgettable and wouldn't make you want to watch it again. She seemed scripted and stilted and she lost a lot of her spontaneous humor that should make you glad she has her own show. (C+)

Letterman - Dave started his uptick before his little scandal and since then, he has only done better. He had gotten lazy with his monologues and the character bits were abysmal, but the show has definitely gotten much better in the past half year. (B)

The Fall TV Season So Far - Dramas

2009-11-09T08:04:00.002-05:00

This week, I'm going to give my thoughts about how I think some of the top shows are doing early in this season. Today, I'll take a look at five dramas:

House - I am definitely in the minority on this, but I thought the season opener was a dog and the rest of the season has been inconsistent and mediocre by House standards. The better episodes this season have been decent, but nothing special. It feels like a low water mark for the series this year. (C+)

CSI - Any given episode of CSI is better than 80% of feature films. Grissom's departure is felt, but it hasn't hurt the show critically. I love the slow build they are giving to Fishburne's character. There is much more to him to be revealed. It's good to have Jorja Fox back, too. The last two episodes haven't been their strongest, but the show is holding ground. There is room for improvement, but this is still one of the best programs on all of television. (B+)

NCIS - Clearly I am out of the mainstream of opinion for this new show, which has been at the top of the ratings, but I think it's terrible. I like Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, but the writing and character development on this show is muy stinko. I was willing to give it a try, but I'm not going back. (C-)

V - Yes, we are only one episode in, but I really like this re-visioning of the classic miniseries. The character development was strong right off the bat and the premise is intriguing. The inside word was that this show was in trouble critically, but whatever they've done, they have salvaged it and have a show worth watching every week. (B+)

Flash Forward - I have really mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, there is a great premise and a terrific opener. On the other hand, there are some mighty hammy performances (yes you, Joseph Fiennes!) and some corny dialogue. Entertainment Weekly says the show keeps getting better and better, but I'm not so sure I agree. I think they've had some clunkers recently. Still, I am intrigued and so far, I'm in. (B+)

10 Facts About the Cast of New Moon

2009-11-04T07:58:00.002-05:00

The next installment of the Twilight Saga, New Moon, is due out in a couple of weeks and it looks like it will be one of the biggest hits of the year. Here are ten facts about the cast of the movie that you may not know:

New Moon is Robert Pattinson's favorite book of the Twilight series.

Each member of the wolf pack produced papers to authenticate that they were of Native-American descent.

Kristen Stewart's mother is Australian.

Kellan Lutz is highly involved with charitable organizations that serve children and families.

Taylor Lautner is of French, German, Dutch, and Native American descent.

Ashley Greene studied acting at the acclaimed Lee Strasberg Institute.

Taylor Lautner has won many state, national, and international karate competitions.

Edi Gathegi was born in Kenya but grew up in California.

Nikki Reed wrote the script for the movie Thirteen starring Evan Rachel Wood and directed by Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke.

Jackson Rathbone was born in Singapore but grew up in Texas.

Paranormal Activity Smashes Record

2009-11-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

The indie phenom Paranormal Activity, a film made for $11,000 in the director's house, now has the distinction of being the film with the highest return on investment of any movie in history. According to The Wrap, the movie has 433,900% return on investment when calculating the film's low budget with the box office sales--and that's not even counting the business over the Halloween weekend.

The previous record holder? The Blair Witch Project, another low budget documentary style creep-fest. That film had a 414,233% return on investment. Using the formula of budget compared to world-wide box office receipts, no other film comes close to these two in rate of return on investment.

Ten Upcoming Movies to Keep Your Eye On

2009-11-02T07:54:00.002-05:00

Over the next couple of months, there are a handful of movies that will do relatively well at the box office and another handful that will generate some Oscar attention.
The Men Who Stare at Goats - Clooney, McGregor, Bridges, Spacey. Good early buzz. (Nov. 6)

Precious - Indie film about a pregnant Harlem teen who struggles with a dangerous home life and illiteracy. Oscar buzz for Mo'Nique. (Nov. 6)

New Moon - This second in the Twilight series will be even bigger than the first and looks like a better film. (Nov. 20)

Me and Orson Welles - Zac Efron in his first real dramatic role since becoming a big deal. Still, I would not expect this to do much box office business because of the subject matter. (Nov. 25)

The Princess and the Frog - Disney's return to tradition animation, their first in five years. It's a classic story, but still a gamble. (Nov. 25)

Up in the Air - another film with Oscar buzz for George Clooney. (Dec. 4)

The Lovely Bones - Peter Jackson takes on the Alice Sebold classic. The early previews look amazing. (Dec. 11)

Nine - a musical with Daniel Day-Lewis really?! Really. Also with four other Oscar winning actors and actresses, written by an Oscar winner, and directed by an Oscar nominee. How's that for a pedigree? (Dec. 18)

Avatar - James Cameron returns with this much-hyped film, his first since Titanic in 1997. (Dec. 18)

Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey Jr. tries to revitalize and re-vision the classic hero. Guy Ritchie directs. (Dec. 25)

And one more...

The Road - The adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy masterpiece has had its release date moved around so many times it's hard to know what's going on. It looks like it may see the light of day in December, but the multiple changes do not bode well for the film.

SNL's November Hosts

2009-10-31T11:36:00.003-04:00

The creatively ailing Saturday Night Live has announced their hosts and musical guests for this month. Here's the slate:

Nov. 7 - Taylor Swift will serve as both host and musical guest

Nov. 14 - Mad Men's January Jones (with Black Eyed Peas)

Nov. 21 - (500) Days of Summer's Joseph Gordon-Levitt (with Dave Matthews Band)

The smart money would be on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's show to be the strongest. He is the best choice among these hosts and this will also be the first SNL appearance ever by Dave Matthews, believe it or not.

The show needs a creative jumpstart, so hopefully it will hit its stride again this month.

10 Celebrities Who Have OCD

2009-10-28T07:51:00.001-04:00

According to an article by ABC News, there are a number of celebrities who have openly acknowledged having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Obsessions are repetitive thoughts that you can't get out of your head, while compulsions are repetitive actions that you can't stop doing (hand washing, etc.). While it is not clear if all of these stars have been formally diagnosed, ABC News reports that they have all made statements claiming to have the disorder. Here are ten celebrities with OCD symptoms:

1. Leonardo DiCaprio

2. Cameron Diaz

3. Howard Stern

4. Justin Timberlake

5. Alec Baldwin

6. David Beckham

7. Billy Bob Thornton

8. Jessica Alba

9. Howie Mandel

10. Jennifer Love Hewitt

Top Three Early Standouts on So You Think You Can Dance?

2009-10-27T07:46:00.001-04:00

After last week's top twenty episode and last night's showcase, I feel confident in saying that a guy is going to win this year's season of SYTYCD. This past May, the prize went to the very deserving Jeanine, one of only two females to win the competition over the past five seasons. This year, it looks like it's going to be another male who will be winning. Of course, I have no idea what I'm talking about this early, but I think it's a solid bet.

Right now, if I were a betting man, I'd lay odds that Russell Ferguson will be in the top four and probably win. I think Kevin Hunte will also distinguish himself, but will probably not be able to beat Russell on charm, presence, and overall raw talent. You can also expect Nathan Trasoras to go deep into the competition, probably into the top four.

Among the girls, Channing Cooke might be an early favorite and I think Ellenore Scott may emerge as a come-out-of-nowhere contender. Still, the smart money is on Russell right now.

10 Reasons Why Jason Castro's Album Might Be Big

2009-10-26T08:02:00.001-04:00

As you probably know, Jason Castro pushed his album release date back into early 2010. While other Idol alumni are struggling with album sales, there are good reasons to believe Jason's album may prove to be a big hit. Here are ten of them:

1. He has written more than 50 songs for the album and will choose the best tracks for his debut.

2. He is on Atlantic, a major label.

3. He is starting a mall tour which keeps him visible and demonstrates a solid work ethic on the road.

4. He has a unique look--dreadlocks and blue eyes--that makes him stand out and remain memorable.

5. He is a singer-songwriter, not just a singer, so he has broader appeal to those who like Jack Johnson, Gavin DeGraw, Jason Mraz, Josh Kelley, and others.

6. He is working with major producers and writers, all top-notch pros.

7. His album will be released during the early Idol season, which should spur sales.

8. He has a rabid, passionate online fan base, including such sites as Castrocopia and those who follow him on his official website, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.

9. He is a genuinely humble and likeable guy. Having met him, I can tell you firsthand that this is true.

10. There is good early buzz for the album, which often translates to strong sales.

10 Best Actresses for the Buck

2009-10-22T08:02:00.000-04:00

Forbes calculated which actresses got the best return on the filmmakers' investment for their recent work. Some of the highest paid stars like Angelina Jolie didn't make the list, but many who were in the mid-range of salary did. There was a virtual tie for the number 7 spot, but the first two actresses--Naomi Watts and Jennifer Connelly--were impressively out front. Here's their top ten list, along how well they did at generating revenues:

1. Naomi Watts (made $44 for each $1 paid)

2. Jennifer Connelly ($41 for each $1 paid)

3. Rachel McAdams ($30 for each $1 paid)

4. Natalie Portman ($28 for each $1 paid)

5. Meryl Streep ($27 for each $1 paid)

6. Jennifer Aniston ($26 for each $1 paid)

7. Halle Berry ($23 for each $1 paid)

8. Cate Blanchett ($23 for each $1 paid)

9. Anne Hathaway ($23 for each $1 paid)

10. Hilary Swank ($23 for each $1 paid)

10 Best Moments on TV So Far This Season

2009-10-20T08:07:00.002-04:00

There have already been some really good moments on television this fall. Here's my list of the ten best moments for the first part of this season:

1. Pam and Jim get married on The Office

2. Letterman discloses blackmail plot, admits affairs with staffers

3. Football team sings and dances Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) during a game on Glee

4. Contestants on Amazing Race eat wasabi bombs on a Japanese game show

5. A shadowy figure walks through an unconscious stadium crowd in Flash Forward

6. Adam Shankman moved to tears by a solo dance on So You Think You Can Dance

7. Opening sequence of the first CSI episode with gunfight frozen in time

8. The Birdmen fly on 60 Minutes

9. Neil Patrick Harris’ opening number on The Emmy Awards

10. John Corben becomes Metallo on Smallville

My SNL Host Wish List

2009-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

What has been going on with SNL this season? They are 0-3, wasting perfectly good hosts and trotting out tired, recycled stuff. The creativity just isn't keeping pace this year.

Despite the troubles of the show, hosting SNL is still the best evidence that a star is hot at the moment. Here are my thoughts about who should host this season:

Hot Right Now

Jim Parsons

Stephen Colbert

Joel McHale

Sharlto Copley

Seth MacFarlane

Funny Women

Julia Louis Dreyfus

Jane Lynch

Ellen DeGeneres

Amy Adams

Big Stars

Matt Damon

Sacha Baron Cohen

George Clooney

Brad Pitt

Robert Downey, Jr.

Young But Funny

Jesse Eisenberg

Ashton Kutcher

Seth Green

Michael Cera

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Taylor Kitsch

Rupert Grint

More Mature Hosts

Ed Asner

John Lithgow

Larry David

Bill Murray

Fred Willard

As Ryan Reynolds, Drew Barrymore, and Gerard Butler have already shown, though, having a good host still doesn't carry the show if the material isn't so hot. The cast is fine this season and the hosts have done well. The writing is really the weak spot right now.

The Twenty Greatest Working Film Directors: Their Masterworks

2009-10-15T07:41:00.001-04:00

Last week, we looked at the top twenty greatest working film directors based on their average metacritic scores of their best three films of the past decade. Today, we are adding in some great directors who did not make the previous list because of too few films or for some other reason. So welcome Guillermo del Toro, Danny Boyle, Alexander Payne, Michel Gondry, and others. Here is the new list of the best working film directors in order based on their single best-reviewed film of the past ten years:

1. Guillermo del Toro – Pan’s Labyrinth (98)

2. Alexander Payne – Sideways (94)

3. Peter Jackson – Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (94)

4. Brad Bird – Ratatouille (94)

5. Andrew Stanton – WALL*E (93)

6. Ang Lee – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (93)

7. Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood (92)

8. Coen Brothers – No Country for Old Men (91)

9. Paul Greengrass – United 93 (90)

10. Clint Eastwood – Letters from Iwo Jima (89)

11. Michel Gondry – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (89)

12. Alfonso Cuaron – Y Tu Mama Tambien (88)

13. Spike Lee –When the Levees Broke (88)

14. Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire (86)

15. Martin Scorsese – The Departed (86)

16. Pedro Almodovar – Talk to Her (86)

17. Steven Soderbergh – Traffic (86)

18. Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd (83)

19. Quentin Tarantino – Kill Bill Vol. 2 (83)

20. Spike Jonze – Adaptation (83)

American Idol Alumni Update

2009-10-13T08:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick roundup of what is going on with some of your favorite American Idol alumni:

* Jason Castro has made a wise choice to push his new album back into early 2010. He was slated to release the CD on Nov. 17, having to compete with new albums from John Mayer, Leona Lewis, 50 Cent, OneRepublic, and Shakira, among others. He has planned a mall tour to get his audience warmed up for the new album

* Ditto for Katherine McPhee who also pushed her album release date back into 2010.

* This season's winner, Kris Allen, will still stay on Nov. 17 for his release and duke it out with those heavy hitters. His single, Live Like We're Dying, has gotten high praise but little airplay, which is worrisome sign.

* Part of Adam Lambert's new single, Time for Miracles, can be heard in the trailer for 2012. Early reaction is highly favorable and pre-orders for his album are strong.

* David Archuleta won an ALMA Award, honoring Latino talent, for Male Music Rising Star. He also sang in Spanish during the award ceremony and completely thrilled the crowd. His Christmas album is out today.

* Carrie Underwood's new album, which is due out on Nov. 3rd, features two songs on it that were written by Ameican Idol judge Kara DioGuardi.

* Michael Johns and Brooke White have been on a short club tour. Michael will headline the David Foster and Friends tour in ten cities, as well.

Ten Child Stars Who Have Made it as Adult Stars

2009-10-12T07:57:00.000-04:00

The stories of child actors who don't have long careers or completely go off the rails later in life are pretty well-known. However, I was able to count up at least twenty adult actors or actresses who started their careers at an early age and have been able to maintain solid careers and keep themselves out of trouble, at least for the most part (cough...Christian Bale...cough). Here are ten who have done well for themselves:

1. Jodie Foster

2. Leonardo DiCaprio

3. Christian Bale

4. Elijah Wood

5. Drew Barrymore

6. Neil Patrick Harris

7. Natalie Portman

8. Jerry O’Connell

9. Seth Green

10. Jason Bateman

The Twenty Greatest Working Film Directors

2009-10-08T07:43:00.003-04:00

For the past ten weeks, I have taken a look at the most recent work of some of our greatest living film directors. I looked at their three highest-rated films of the past decade (using the meta-score from Metacritic), then averaged those three films for an overall score.

Some directors, like Spielberg and Scorsese, who would have topped the list in decades past dropped to the middle of the pack, while some other directors, like Peter Jackson, Paul Greengrass, and Alfonso Cuaron, got hot this decade and topped the list. Peter Jackson emerges as top of the heap with the LOTR trilogy, which, by any standard, is one of the great accomplishments in filmmaking history.

This list doesn't include some great directors like Paul Thomas Anderson who only made two films during the past decade. By the way, if we average the scores for the two films PT Anderson directed in the past ten years (Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood), he would have gotten a score of 85, enough to put him in the third spot. Andrew Stanton, director of Finding Nemo and WALL*E, who have tied Peter Jackson for first place with a score of 91. Brad Bird, who made The Incredibles and Ratatouille, who have had an average score of 93, which would have actually shot him over Stanton and Jackson and put him in first place!

Here's the top twenty best living film directors, along with their overall score, as judged by the average of their best three films over the past decade:

1. Peter Jackson – 91

2. Paul Greengrass – 88

3. Alfonso Cuaron – 84

4. Pedro Almodovar – 84

5. Spike Lee – 83

6. Ang Lee – 80

7. Christopher Nolan – 80

8. Tim Burton – 79

9. Coen Brothers – 78

10. Steven Soderbergh – 78

11. Martin Scorsese - 78

12. Quentin Tarantino – 77

13. Steven Spielberg – 76

14. Ron Howard – 74

15. Ridley Scott – 71

16. David Fincher – 71

17. Woody Allen – 70

18. Michael Mann – 69

19. Wes Anderson – 68

20. Sam Mendes – 66

We've got one more round to go of this. Next week, we will look at the order of these directors based on their single best work of the past decade. In that list, I will include some of the other great directors who were left out for one reason or another on this list. That should reshuffle things a bit. Come back and check it out.

Highest Paid TV Actors

2009-10-07T08:04:00.001-04:00

It may have been a tough year for many people economically, but there are a handful of actors who weren't hurting. Here’s the list of the highest paid male actors working in television right now, along with their salary per episode:

1. Charlie Sheen – Two and a Half Men ($875,000)

2. Keifer Sutherland – 24 ($550,000)

3. Hugh Lauire – House ($400,000)

4. Christopher Meloni – Law & Order: SVU ($400,000)

5. Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock ($300,000)

6. Patrick Dempsey – Grey’s Anatomy ($250,000)

7. Jon Hamm – Mad Men ($75,000)

Chace Crawford – Gossip Girl ($50,000)

Top Ten Most Talented Disney Channel Stars: The Guys

2009-10-06T08:06:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I posted my daughter's list of the most talented girls on the Disney Channel roster. Here's her list of the most talented guys:

1. Jason Earles - Hannah Montana

2. Dylan Sprouse - The Suite Life On Deck

3. Cole Sprouse - The Suite Life On Deck

4. Mitchel Musso - Hannah Montana

5. Jake T. Austin - Wizards Of Waverly Place

6. Sterling Knight - Sonny With A Chance

7. Moises Arias - Hannah Montana

8. Kyle Massey - Cory In The House

9. David Henrie - Wizards Of Waverly Place

10. Jason Dolley - Cory In The House

Top Ten Most Talented Disney Channel Stars: The Girls

2009-10-05T07:51:00.002-04:00

I've told friends that Disney is the only organization that could ever entice me away from my current awesome job. Disney is a marvel of a company. They are creative, forward-thinking, and they treat their people well.

I asked my youngest daughter, Abbey, who is in middle school and a huge fan of Disney Channel programming to give me her lists of the most talented stars in the Disney stable. She is an excellent judge of talent, especially when it comes to all things Disney. Here's her list of the ten most talented girls on Disney Channel:

1. Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana

2. Selena Gomez - Wizards Of Waverly Place

3. Demi Lavato - Sonny With A Chance

4. Brenda Song - The Suite Life On Deck

5. Raven Symone - That’s So Raven

6. Anneliese van der Pol - That’s So Raven

7. Jennifer Stone - Wizards Of Waverly Place

8. Tiffany Thortan - Sonny With A Chance

9. Emily Osment - Hannah Montana

10. Maria Walsh - Cory In The House

Come back tomorrow for her second list of the most talented guys on Disney Channel.

Who's the Greatest Working Film Director? Round Ten: Spike Lee vs. Woody Allen

2009-10-01T08:03:00.000-04:00

In our tenth and final round of comparing the recent work of well-regarded film directors, we take a look at the best three films of veterans Spike Lee and Woody Allen. Both had their glory days before this decade, but they have continued to create some well-reviewed work over the past ten years. Again, we use the Metacritic meta-score and only look at their top three best-reviewed works of the past decade. Here's how they stack up:

Round 10

Spike Lee

When the Levees Broke (2006) - 88

Passing Strange (2009) - 85

Inside Man (2006) - 76 (tied with The Original Kings of Comedy, 2000)

Average: 83

Woody Allen

Match Point (2005) - 72

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) - 70

Small Time Crooks (2000) - 69

Average: 70

So Spike Lee trounces Woody Allen in this final round of the competition. Come back next week for a list of the top ten greatest working film directors.

The Best Movies Ever? No Way!

2009-09-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Rotten Tomatoes has a list of the best fifty movies ever. Normally, I like these types of lists, but this one is terrible. I honestly think it is the worst best list ever (yes, I meant to say that). Here are their top ten picks from that list. Tell me if you agree with me or if you think their list is just fine:

1. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

2. The Third Man (1949)

3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

4. Modern Times (1936)

5. The Godfather (1972)

6. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

7. King Kong (1933)

8. Metropolis (1927)

9. All About Eve (1950)

10. Singing in the Rain (1952)

A bad list, right?! That's not to say there aren't some good movies on this list, but these are supposed to be the best movies EVER. Really?! By the way, only one movie from the past decade made the cut for the entire top fifty. Was it Lord of the Rings? The Dark Knight? WALL*E? No, it was Man on Wire (#28). Hmmm.... A rotten tomato for Rotten Tomatoes on this one.

Conan Has a Concussion and Other TV News

2009-09-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

The start of the television season is busy and there are a lot of things going on. Here are just some of the highlights:

* Conan slipped and fell and hit his head hard on the floor while filming a triathlon skit with Teri Hatcher for The Tonight Show Friday night. She reports that he has a concussion. The show was cancelled and Conan went to the hospital by ambulance. He is expected to be back at work today.

* Good news for some new series: NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife, Modern Family, FlashForward, and Cougar Town. All had strong ratings in their debut episodes.

* The Emmy Awards had 1 million more viewers this year compared to last and host Neil Patrick Harris has been unanimously praised for his opening number, quick wit, and likeable presence.

* The Jay Leno Show started with high ratings (18 million viewers), but has now slipped to average nightly viewership of around 5-6 million per night. This still is likely to make the show profitable for the network because of the low costs, though.

* The first casualty of the new season was Ashton Kutcher's The Beautiful Life starring Mischa Barton. It pulled in a meager 1.1 million viewers and was cancelled after only the second episode.

* Dancing with the Stars still pulls in ridiculously good ratings, while the vastly superior So You Think You Can Dance can never quite catch fire, bringing in less than a third of the numbers of its competitor.

The Amazing Race is Back

2009-09-27T07:59:00.001-04:00

The Amazing Race picked up its seventy consecutive Emmy for best reality show last week--and there's a reason for that! It really is an incredibly good show that is well-worth watching. Here is a preview of what you can expect from the 15th season of the show:

* For the first time, a team gets eliminated a few yards from the starting gate.

* The teams fly from L.A. to Tokyo where they must eat a Wasabi-bomb that horrifies the Japanese people watching.

* Contestants have to herd 2,000 ducks in Vietnam.

* They have to build a 5-foot tall snowman in the scorching heat of Dubai.

* The race takes place over 3 weeks with practically no break from the action.

* Among the contestants are two Harlem Globetrotters and a guy with Asperger's named Zev.

It starts tonight at 8pm on CBS. Definitely worth checking out!

Who's the Greatest Working Film Director? Round Nine: Sam Mendes vs. Wes Anderson

2009-09-24T07:52:00.001-04:00

Today, we compare the work of two well-respected directors who have produced some good work over the past decade. Wes Anderson has given us some quirky, fun stuff, while Sam Mendes has produced some major emotional intensity onscreen. Here's how their best three films of the past decade stack up:

Round Nine:

Sam Mendes

Road to Perdition (2002) - 72

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 67

Jarhead (2005) - 58

Average: 66

Wes Anderson

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 75

Darjeeling Limited (2007) - 67

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - 62

Average: 68

So Wes Anderson squeaks by with a narrow victory over a strong opponent. Neither looks to be in the running for the top ten, however. Come back next week for our final round before we wrap this series up.