Discussion! - James Bond

EDIT: It's been brought to my attention that, in fact, there are quite a few things more awesome and more widely accessible than James Bond. So I suppose, extend the question a little further - what's your favorite spy themed book/movie/TV show/comic/video game? Why?

So, thanks to my wonderful efficiency posting last Saturday, I feel like there should be more gracing the walls of this blog. But shows don't start up again until tonight.

Plus it's repeat week for the Daily Show and Colbert Report. I hate repeat week. I never know what's going on in the outside world....

Hope you guys saw the Emmys! I didn't like Jimmy Fallon as the host, but Jane Lynch (Glee) and Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) win best acceptance speeches from me. I'm sure they're up on Youtube.

Anyways, I was hopping to hear from readers! You guys don't comment much, so I figured I'd just ask directly. And what's more awesome then James Bond?

Wait, that's not the question! Well I suppose you could answer that one too...But anyway, my question is, what's your favorite set of Bond movies? Are they grouped by Bond actor? Villain? Location? Absurd Bond girl names?


[By the way, this topic is triggered by the fact that I just bought a CD with every theme song on it and THEY'RE ALL STUCK IN MY HEAD]

Fall Lineup (aka What I'll be Watching)

Here's the list of shows I plan on watching this fall (listed by premiere times):

Monday, Sept. 20
House, 8 p.m. (Fox), Chuck, 8 p.m. (NBC), Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)

Tuesday, Sept. 21
NCIS, 8 p.m. (CBS), Glee, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Thursday, Sept. 23
The Big Bang Theory, 8 p.m. (CBS), Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)

Tueday, September 28
Stargate Universe 9 p.m. SyFy, Sanctuary 10 p.m. SyFy

There are two things to note here: 1) No new shows. I haven't seen any promising ones, and my schedule is already kinda packed. 2) A lot of them show at the same time. Which means, since I won't be able to produce at automatic review each night (I'll need copies up on the internet first), I get to choose how to do reviews. So, by night or by category? Up to you guys. Let me know what you'd like.

By the way, the categories are as follows:

Procedurals - House, Castle, Bones, NCIS
Dramedy/SciFi - Chuck, Glee, Big Bang Theory, SGU, Sanctuary

Week of 8/23/10 - Summer Season Finales are Around the Bend!

SPOILERS: Warehouse 13, White Collar, Covert Affairs, Eureka

We're heading into the last lap of summer programming, and it shows. They're pulling out all the stops to make sure we're there when they pull out the cliffhangers that are supposed to last us 9 months till next May. To steal a certain company's catch phrase - I'm loving it.

Episode of the Week: Warehouse 13 "Merge With Caution"

Unless, you're an Auggie fan, in which case, it's Covert Affairs "Communication Breakdown"

Premiere Dates!

For all of you anxiously wondering when your favorite shows are coming back, worry no more:

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/08/26/fall-tv-cheat-sheet/

The above website covers all major channels. As for SyFy, the big two are Stargate Universe and Sanctuary, which are premiering one right after the other on Tuesday September 28. SGU "Intervention" is at 9 and Sanctuary "Kali, Part 3" will be at 10.

So, which show are you most excited for?

Week of 8/16 - "The Week of Awesome Female Guest Stars"

SPOILERS: Warehouse 13, White Collar, Covert Affairs, and Eureka

Wooo I'm back at school!!!!!!

Yes, I'm that weird. I enjoy school. I also enjoy TV watching. And in between all the re-packing and driving and moving, I managed to watch most of my shows this week. (Still haven't caught up on SYTYCD though I know who won) Here we go...

Oh, episode of the week, purely by number of awesome guest actresses: Covert Affairs, "Houses of the Holy"

Summer Broadway Round 3 - Promises, Promises

Finally, my sister came to visit me during my second-to-last weekend in NY, and what did we decide to see? Well, she saw Next to Normal, which I saw last Thanksgiving (AWESOME show, by the way, though it will leave you in tears).

But THEN we decided to see Promises, Promises, as we are both Kristen Chenoweth and Sean Hayes fans.

Promises, Promises

Music and Lyrics by: Burt Bacharach and Hal David (Book by Neil Simon)

Basic Story: Chuck rents out his apartment to his superiors at work for their illicit affairs, but things get complicated when his dream girl turns out to be involved with his (very married) boss.

Score: As a performance? A-, but as a musical? C

Top Songs: I have many issues with the soundtrack, but I suppose "Where Can You Take a Girl?"

Actors to See: Kristen Chenoweth as Fran, Sean Hayes as Chuck, and Katie Finneran as Marge

Cons: The music. It's repetitive, boring for the most part, and at some points doesn't even match the plot. It's only redeemed by the amazing talent singing it. The show would be much better as a play.

Summer Broadway Round 2 - A Little Night Music

So, my summer progressed on, and I didn't make it to the Broadway theatres as often as I had planned to. But when I heard the news that Catherine Zeta Jones was being replaced by Bernadette Peters, I knew I had to get myself to see A Little Night Music.

Yes, Elaine Stritch replaced Angela Lansbury. More on what I thought of that later...

A Little Night Music 

Music and Lyrics by: Stephen Sondheim

Basic Story: Set in Sweden, at the beginning of the 20th century, hilarious chaos ensues as everyone begins to realize they're with the wrong person. Liaisons and sex-capades abound! 

Score: A

Top Songs: Honestly? The whole soundtrack. Each one will be stuck in your head for ages. But if I have to choose: "A Weekend in the Country" and "The Miller's Son"

Actors to See: Bernadette Peters as Desiree Armfeldt and Lee Ann Larkin as Petra

Cons: I'm going to get so much crap for this but... Elaine Stritch. A Broadway legend, yes, but, as I'll mention later, she was the one crack in an otherwise flawless production.

Once again, all pics come from the shows website.

Week 8/9 - "What?! Hilarie Burton?"

SPOILERS: Warehouse 13, White Collar, Covert Affairs, and Eureka

Soooo very sunburnt. I had a lovely time at the beach, but now I'm in a rush and I still haven't caught up on SYTYCD, so this is going to be quick and to the point.

Episode of the Week: White Collar "Unfinished Business"

Edit: I accidentally had the wrong title for the White Collar episode...

Summer Broadway Round 1 - West Side Story

That's right, no spoilers warning. And I know what you're thinking. "Broadway? What's that? I vaguely remember Sarah mentioning something about Broadway shows a long long time ago..."

Well, guess what. Since I'm still catching up on the TV I missed this week at the beach, I thought I'd distract you all with some extremely missing reviews I had promised. As I was in NYC for the summer, and am a long time musical fan, I just had to be all cultured in my free time and pick up a few shows. So here's the run down, chopped into nice easy to handle pieces.

And, duh, there are spoilers. I'm going to talk about plot, characters, all that good stuff. But I'll post a mini review bite up here above the "read more" line..

West Side Story
Music and Lyrics by: Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim

Basic Story: Romeo and Juliet between two gangs in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, back when that was not a nice part of town.

Score: B+

Top Songs: "I Feel Pretty" and "Gee Officer Krupke" 

Actor to See: Karen Olivo as Anita

Cons: To be more true to its roots, the revival has the Puerto Rican characters more often speak and sing in Spanish. This isn't a con for me, as I've taken 4 years of Spanish; in fact, it enhanced the performance. But if you aren't familiar with Spanish like my viewing buddy at the time, you might feel a little out of place and confused. However, fluency is most certainly not required.

More Excuses....

Unfortunately for, well, you all, I'm at the beach and away from my laptop until Monday. (Hooray for smartphones!) So you won't get an update until then. Two things to mull over until then:

1) No one called me out on the fact that the Eureka actors who play Jo, Henry, and Zane have all guest starred on Warehouse 13, thus ruining possible crossovers w/o lampshading and ruining continuity.

2) For laughs, try picturing your favorite mad (or simply lovable) scientist on vacation at the beach, preferably in a swim suit, in character. It's extremely fun.

- Sarah

Crossover Week (Week of August 1)

SPOILERS: Warehouse 13, Eureka, Covert Affairs, White Collar, and ... True Blood?

Ahhhhhhhh. All the packing and the finishing of work and the presentations and the papers and the partying and the not-sleeping and the driving and the unpacking and the crashing and the sleeping a lot.....................It's finally over. Just in time for me to almost be way too late to post anything. Apologies, but this is going to be short and sweet so that I can post it in time before tonight.

Also, I didn't watch SYTYCD this week; not enough time. I'll watch it before the finale though, don't spoil it for me please!

Week of 7/26/10 in Review - "Dear Sarah, We're Sorry"

SPOILERS: Warehouse 13, Covert Affairs, White Collar, SYTYCD, Eureka

(It's my last week in NY, so this is a bit late - however, my total boredom from returning home will make my future posts much more prompt)

After last week's less than desirable turnout, I was rather nervous to turn on the TV this time around. Especially for Warehouse 13; with the premiere fading from mind I was starting to wonder why I watched that show in the first place. Luckily, USA and SyFy heard my distress and seemed to give me an apology this week as I was blown out of the water by Tuesday's shows (which took until Wednesday night to catch up on....). Though the rest of the week did not quite follow suit, I was distracted by the Sanctuary Comic-Con trailer and therefore cannot really bring myself to be truly cynical and depressing about anything.

Who does the coveted episode of the week title go to? (Yep, just made that up on the spot)
Episode of the Week: Warehouse 13, "Age Before Beauty" (very, very closely followed by White Collar's "Copycat Caffery")