TV: The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch, Tucson Weekly

Shows About Women Shouldn't Just be About Being a Woman

Chelo Grubb — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:31:00 -0700

About a year ago, a YouTube channel started up, promising to tell women’s stories.

Since then the channel, WIGS, has accumulated nearly 40 million video views and 180,000 subscribers.…

Finally, I Understand Why People Like Downton Abbey

Dan Gibson — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:58 -0700

David Mendez asked me to fill in with a post today, so you get this: a supercut by the new site previously.tv with the most flatulent moments in Downton Abbey history. Enjoy!

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The Folks at Amy's Baking Company In Scottsdale Have Gone Insane [Update: They Were 'Hacked']

David Mendez — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 -0700

[Update: The Bouzaglos claim to have been "hacked."]

We now present a masterclass in how a business owner should not respond to criticism.…

The 'Arrested Development' Season Four Trailer Is Up and Looks Fantastic

David Mendez — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:41:00 -0700

May 26, TV nerds will welcome the long-awaited return of one of the most lauded shows in recent years — and I'm having trouble waiting.

Arrested Development finally comes back to TV — or at least, to television sets linked to the Internet, as all 15 episodes of the new season will be launched at once, via Netflix's streaming service.…

John McCain Wants To Help You, Unhappy Cable Subscriber

David Mendez — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:37:00 -0700

Sen. John McCain may be less popular now than he has been in more than 20 years, but that doesn't stop the former maverick from doing what he feels is right — at least, when it comes to the wacky, wild world of telecommunications.

Yesterday, May 9, McCain introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act (you can tell it's important, because FREEDOM), which would force television providers to split up their growing hordes of tiers and bundling, allowing cable subscribers to pick their channels a la carte — channel by channel — rather than being forced to pay for channels that they don't watch (meaning that I can FINALLY cast off the oppressive yoke of HGTV and their massive programming blocks of House Hunters).…

Fox Manages to Find a New Low With Their New Reality Show

Dan Gibson — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:00:58 -0700

Apparently, the concept for Does Someone Have to Go? has been kicking around Fox for awhile, possibly waiting for the economy to improve, so that television viewers, pushing giant piles of money out of their line of sight, would feel good about a program where people lose their jobs as part of the basic premise.

However, that day has not yet come (thanks for nothing, Obama!)…

Like Cooking? Want To Be On a Reality Show? Feel Like Further Crushing the Throat of What Once Was "Music Television"?

David Mendez — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:04:00 -0700

Were it not for the massive brand cache that MTV still carries (somehow) I wouldn't bat an eyelash if they decided to re-brand in some way that called to light the fact that most of their programming is reality/pop-culture, with token lip-service to music a few times a year.

Regardless, given Tucson's growing recognition as a bastion of culinary talent in the American Southwest, I think it wouldn't be a terrible idea for the Old Pueblo's cooking talents to have a coming out party on a television show that hopefully will be as great as I hope, rather than being a steaming pile of awful, as many fledgling reality shows tend to be.…

British Biography Series Re-imagines Historical Figures as Contemporary Folk

David Mendez — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:17:00 -0700

Historical reimaginings are always a fun way to compare modern society to historical society (look at basically any Baz Luhrmann travesty where period pieces are shoved into a contemporary box or given modern flavors, for example), and this experiment by the folks behind British biography series "Secret Life of..." looks at historical Brits through a present-day lens — complete with plastic surgery and bad haircuts!

Yep, that's Shakespeare, as a hipstery actor/playwright/maker of terrible hair decisions (though I will say that the shirt and vest combo kinda works, surprisingly). From the Telegraph:

Daring and forward thinking hipster Shakespeare has been fashioned as a 'modern day playwright' with his edgy Shoreditch shirt and waistcoat look.
He has been given piercings on both ears, leaving questions about his sexuality unanswered.
An actor as well as a playwright, Shakespeare might have taken advantage of modern-day hair transplanting techniques to sport a full head of hair like numerous celebrity actors.

Check out more, including my personal favorite, Admiral Lord Nelson, at the Telegraph (via Laughing Squid).…

Apparently There's a 'Parks and Rec' Porn Parody Now

David Mendez — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:19:00 -0700

In honor of the fact that May is Masturbation Month, we give you something that was found a week or so ago and didn't share for reasons such as "it is so damn weird" and "it's porn related" — then, we remembered that this is the same publication that ran fiction featuring its writers in compromising positions only a few months ago, and said "eh, to hell with it."

So without further ado, I present the terrible porn parody that took inspiration from (and paid homage to) the Parks and Recreation episode "Bailout" from the most recent season, which featured a clip from a fictional porno "featuring" members of the main cast. It's just so damn meta.

The Porks and Recreation (yep, that's its name) safe-for-work video is below.…

Saturday Night Live to Launch Extensive Digital Archive, If Only for My Amusement

Dan Gibson — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:00:54 -0700

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

This is probably an indicator that I am old and didn't get out much when I was younger, but Saturday Night Live is a big deal to me. Yes, when I had a DVR and watched episodes on Sunday at some point waiting for something funny to happen, I was generally let down (I don't stay home on Saturdays to watch new episodes at least, which is at least a somewhat positive sign) and now I generally skim through the highlights on Hulu (if there are any).

But, on numerous occasions, something will remind me of an older sketch and I'll run to Hulu and/or YouTube to see that clip again.…

A Look at Amazon's Original Comedy Pilots

David Mendez — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:27:00 -0700

Last week, Amazon released pilots for the new, original sitcoms that they're testing for their streaming video service, Amazon Instant Video, hoping to draw customers away from Netflix's booming streaming video service and into the warm embrace of Amazon Prime subscriptions.

I was able to catch four of the eight comedies that they've released for viewer consumption during one particularly sleepless night over the weekend — and I'm glad to say that only ONE of them was mostly terrible!

So let's do our best to compress those four pilots into encapsulated reviews.…

Tom Goes to the Chair: In Which We Learn Danehy Disagrees With TV Critics

Tom Danehy — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:16:00 -0700

I tried; I really did. I watched Mad Men one last time.…

Speaking of Filibusters: Patton Oswalt Delivers Awesome Star Wars/Marvel Crossover Pitch on "Parks and Recreation"

Jim Nintzel — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:30:07 -0700

Something tells us today's Senate filibuster on background checks will not be anything like Patton Oswalt's geek-crazed "citizen's filibuster" that will be seen on Parks and Recreation tomorrow night. A minor quibble: The X-Men don't have a quinjet.…

'The Cleveland Show' is Reportedly Cancelled, Reportedly Answering My Prayers

David Mendez — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:55:00 -0700

I'm torn regarding Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. I think he, personally, is a hilarious talent — a great comic writer, actor, singer, etc. He loves what he does, and it shows.…

Fox Network Sends Cease-and-Desist Letters to Long Suffering Fans of 'Firefly' For Selling Hats

David Mendez — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:48 -0700

Fans of the beloved, short-lived Western-themed space opera Firefly were kicked in the emotional ribs yet again by the folks at the Fox Network — this time for selling fan-made gear. This coincides with the fact that online retailer ThinkGeek recently acquired a license to sell official versions of these silly hats you see over to the side.…

Tom Goes to the Chair: Recapping the Best Dramas Cable TV Has to Offer

Tom Danehy — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:06:00 -0700

Sorry this is late, but I had to watch the season-ending episodes of The Walking Dead and Justified to see which one was better. It was Justified, but The Walking Dead continues to amaze despite the idiotic game of musical chairs that AMC insists on playing with the people running the show.…

Amazon Has Green-Lit a TV Adaptation of 'Zombieland'; No Word Yet On Twinkie Availability

David Mendez — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:17:00 -0700

Multimedia interweb goliath Amazon has confirmed that it has greenlit the pilot for a TV adaptation of the 2009 zombie-filled action-horror-comedy Zombieland to be part of its streaming video service in what is probably a terrible, terrible idea.

From cnet.com:

"Zombieland" is the 13th and latest original series to bite off a pilot on Amazon's Prime video service.…
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Tom Goes to the Chair: Danehy's Breaking Point

Tom Danehy — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:30:00 -0700

Have you ever turned on an episode of a TV series that you’ve been watching for a while and then wondered (often aloud), “Why the hell am I still watching this?”

NOTE: This doesn’t really apply to young people, who apparently have found a new way to watch TV. The girls on my basketball team wait until an entire season of a program is over and then they watch all of the episodes in one junk food-fueled weekend.…

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Alex Trebek to Retire From 'Jeopardy!' in 2016

David Mendez — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:41:00 -0700

...and if Ken Jennings doesn't replace him, you'll be able to hear my cries of impotent rage from here to eternity.

According to the New York Post, Alex Trebek's contract to host Jeopardy! ends in 2016, and he appears to have made the decision to retire when it ends.…
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Tom Goes to the Chair: Bazinga!

Tom Danehy — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:30:00 -0700

On October 4, 2007, I wrote in my column: “There’s a new CBS sitcom that has one of the funniest pilots I’ve ever seen. The Big Bang Theory features two Star Trek/computer nerd roommates who clash when a young woman who works at The Cheesecake Factory moves in across the hall.…
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Jon Stewart Is Leaving The Daily Show (Temporarily) To Direct A Serious Film?

Stephanie Casanova — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:00:04 -0700

Daily Show host Stewart told the NY Times he will be taking 12 weeks off from hosting duties to direct the drama "Rosewater," for which he wrote a screenplay.

John Oliver, who often portrays the show's "Senior British Correspondent," will be taking over as guest host for eight weeks.…
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AZ Illustrated Politics: The Sequester, Education Reform, City Council Races & More

Jim Nintzel — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:36:15 -0700

Former Tucson councilwoman Carol West made her AZ Illustrated Politics debut this evening, joining former state lawmaker Frank Antenori and former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers for a discussion about the sequester, Gov. Brewer's sales-tax and education-funding reform plans, a state bill to further regulate in-vitro fertilization procedures, the upcoming Tucson City Council elections and next year's Attorney General race.

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Tom Goes To The Chair: Ruminations on 'Girls,' Orgasms and Urination

Tom Danehy — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:00:00 -0700

I once had a friendly disagreement with a female acquaintance. She asked me what was so great about being a guy.…
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AZ Illustrated Politics: Sequestration, Latest From the Legislature, City Council Races & More

Jim Nintzel — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:00:21 -0700

On AZ Illustrated Politics tonight: Former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers, former state lawmaker Frank Antenori and former Tucson City Councilwoman Carol West join host Jim Nintzel to discuss the local impact of sequestration, the latest bills at the Arizona Legislature, this year's Tucson City Council races and more. The show airs at 6:30 p.m. on Arizona Public Media's PBS 6.…
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AZ Illustrated Politics Tonight: State of the City, Immigration & TUSD

Jim Nintzel — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:30:02 -0700

On tonight's edition of AZ Illustrated Politics: Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries and former Tucson City Council aide Miguel Ortega join host Jim Nintzel to discuss Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild's State of the City Speech; Rothschild's call for more annexation; Vail's push to incorporate into a town; the ongoing debate over immigration reform; TUSD's school closures; and the future of TUSD's Mexican-American Studies program. (Or at least that's all on the agenda.…
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