Dexter: Consider Me Hooked!

This weekend, I happened to come across a little show called Dexter on Showtime. Dexter has been airing since 2006 and is based on a series of novels written by Jeff Lindsay, yet due to the fact I was never fortunate enough to get Showtime, I was never able to watch it. Let’s just say, I’m incredibly thankful to get the pay channel now because I was thoroughly engrossed in the two episodes I watched and can’t wait to see where this crazy thing goes. There’s a spoiler at the end of this post so if you don’t want to know what happened in Sunday’s Dexter, consider yourself warned.

I realize I’m extraordinarily late in the game with the show, and there is a lot of catching up I’m going to have to do (Netflix here I come!). From what I gathered by watching the two most recent episodes (“Dex Takes a Holiday” and “Dirty Harry”), Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a Miami police investigator with a wife, children, and a dark secret – he kills people, lots of people. However, he channels his psychopathic tendencies towards socially responsible murder. Dexter is a serial killer of serial killers; that is, he offs people that deserve it.

This moral ambiguity creates one of TV’s most interesting and complex characters, and Hall’s performance is mesmerizing to watch. He plays Dexter with an uncomfortable, anxious confidence that is a true extension of how layered and psychologically messed up this guy really is. In addition, Dexter gets advice and guidance from visions of his deceased father (James Remar). Yeah, there’s plenty here to keep a psychoanalyst busy for decades.

Dexter’s recent developments have him on the tail of an elusive serial killer nicknamed “Trinity” (played by subdued John Lithgow) who, in last week’s episode, shot his sister and killed an FBI agent she was involved with.

“Dirty Harry”, which aired this past Sunday, continued this story line and dealt with the ramifications of his sister’s shooting and how his double life is affecting his marriage. The extraneous goings on, such as the interoffice romances and other drama seemed clunky and paled in comparison to the main plot. I just found myself eagerly waiting for Dexter to pop back on my screen again.

However, the show's final moments were superb. Dexter locates Trinity and frantically attempts to chase him through a high rise office building only to lose him in the stairwell. However, Dexter manages to follow him by car only to discover that Trinity -- this sadistic serial killer who has been murdering for over 30 years -- is a suburban husband and father just like him. Dun, Dun DUN!

Chenoweth back on Glee, Madonna themed episode in the works!

Attention all Gleeks! According to recent reports, Kristin Chenoweth will be reprising her role on Glee in 2010, and I couldn't be more excited! Her guest spot was a highlight of the season so far, and Chenoweth is spectacular in everything she does.

In other exciting Glee news, Madonna apparently just released her entire catalog to the hit music series and the show runners are planning an entire Madonna themed episode to air later this season! That's almost fabulous overload right there! Everyone is speculating Quinn will be singing "Papa Don't Preach" but what about everybody else? I'm dying to know who will be singing what, so I'll be doing plenty of research and I will post any info as soon as it becomes available.

So TV junkies, what songs are on your wish list for Kristin Chenoweth when she returns to Glee? And, what should everyone sing on Madonna night??

FOX scores with NFL and MLB on Sunday

FOX was easily the most watched network last night, thanks to an NFL game that spilled over into primetime and ALCS game 6 between the Angels and the Yankees. FOX averaged 15.77 million viewers (9.8/15 household rating) over the course of the evening, with a 5.5/14 rating in adults 18-49. NBC came in second, with its football coverage averaging 10.977 million viewers (6.7/11) and a 4.2/11 rating in adults 18-49. ABC was a close third with 10.690 million viewers (6.7/11) and a 3.3/8 18-49 rating. CBS was a fourth, lost in the shuffle, posting a weak 9.978 million viewers (6.3/10) and an even weaker 2.2/6 adults 18-49 rating.

The 7pm hour was dominated by FOX’s football overrun which averaged a whopping 21.04 million viewers (12.0/20 in households). CBS’s 60 Minutes was a very distant second with 12.2 million viewers (7.9/13) and ABC’s America’s Funniest Videos was third with 8.4 million (4.9/8). NBC’s Football Night in America was fourth with 5.5 million (3.5/6).

At 8pm, Game Six of the American League Championship Series kept FOX in first place with 15.8 million viewers (9.3/14). Sunday Night Football kicked NBC up to second place with 12 million viewers (7.2/11). The Amazing Race came in third for CBS with 11 million viewers (6.4/10) and ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was just behind with 10.6 million (6.4/10).

NBC’s football coverage inched by FOX at 9pm, averaging 14.1 million viewers (8.4/13) over the 13.84 million (8.5/13) for baseball. ABC’s Desperate Housewives actually scored the best household rating (8.8/13), despite coming in an extremely close third with 13.81 million viewers. That pileup for NBC, FOX, and ABC left only scraps for CBS’s newbie medical drama Three Rivers, which was D.O.A. with only 7.9 million viewers (5.0/8)

FOX closed the night out with 12.4 million (7.7/13), slightly ahead of NBC’s 12.2 million viewers (7.7/13). Over at ABC, Brothers & Sisters lost 27% of its Housewives lead in to post 10 million viewers (6.7/11) and Cold Case left CBS in fourth with a mere 8.8 million (5.8/10).

Ratings 101

Given that my TV obsession extends into the business aspect of the industry, I’m going to start covering ratings news as well. Ever since I was a little boy, and my dad bought me my first Variety magazine (yes, I told you I was strange), I was fascinated with the ratings game. I follow ratings on a daily basis like a sports junkie follows sports statistics.

If you’re not quite sure how TV ratings work, here’s a crash course in Nielsen 101:

Nielsen ratings are essentially a percentage of viewers watching a particular show at any given time. Ratings are displayed with two sets of numbers (xx/yy). The xx number is the rating, or percentage of households tuned into a show measured against all households in the country. The yy number is the share, or percentage of households watching a show measured only against those TV sets that are on at that time. So if a program gets an 8.0/12 rating that means 8% of all the households in America were watching, and 12% of the TVs on at that time were tuned in.

In today’s heavily fragmented world, demographics are just as important (if not more) as total viewer statistics. Adults aged 18-49, which advertisers pay the most money for, is the group networks want to be watching their shows. So, in addition to household ratings you will most likely see an 18-49 rating or, the percentage of adults 18-49 watching. Many shows with low household ratings will end up staying on the air thanks to strong 18-49 numbers.

It may sound complicated at first, but if a 12 year old me can pick it up, anyone can. So, starting Monday I’ll post brief little ratings updates. My info will come from these very reputable industry sites:

tvbythenumbers.com

zap2it.com

ew.com

Touchdown!

I know I’m probably starting to sound like a broken record when it comes to recapping Modern Family, but this show just gets better every week! 5 episodes in and we find ourselves with the best written, most consistently funny half hour on television right now (you hear that Tina Fey??). Each installment adds layer upon layer of complexity and richness to these already brilliant characters and, by shuffling up the pairings and conflicts, the writers are constantly forced to redefine the relationships over and over again. The result is a richness and dimension rarely seen on the small screen.

This week, Jay and Gloria plan a family barbeque at their house where everyone will be watching a big football game. We find out that Cameron is a huge football fan and used to play in college, but Mitchell isn’t too fond of the sport (or sports in general). Luke and Manny end up getting in a physical fight at school which turns out to mirror hidden tensions between Claire and Gloria. All these conflicts come to a head at the barbeque – when we discover that Claire had previously called Gloria a Coal Digger (“Gold Digger”) - and Phil tries his best to mediate the situation. Of course, in true Modern Family fashion, by the end of the episode, apologies are exchanged and bonds are strengthened. The last scene is touching and it’s just proof how masterfully the writers uniquely balance wickedly sharp comedy with moving sentimental moments.

Best moment of the night? The scene where Gloria is showing Phil all the nice things Jay bought her, including an multitude of underwear in every color imaginable - which she ends up throwing at him - definitely had me cracking up. Phil's reaction is absolutely priceless, as is most of his inappropriate affection for Gloria. The two of them also tie for Funniest Family Member of the Week.

I'm Phillip, and I'm a Gleek

Gleeks of the world (yes, that's really what we're called) rejoice! I come to you now with my inaugural (albeit it very late)Glee post and we certainly have a lot to cover.

From the moment I watched the pilot back in May, I knew we had something truly special on our hands (a weekly musical dramedy?! No way!!) The incredibly written and produced first episode, complete with an AMAZING final number (the immediately downloaded and heavily repeated "Don't Stop Believin'"), shattered all my expectations and completely raised the bar on what a superb pilot should be.

We were introduced to kindhearted and sensitive teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and his wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig). Will is a high school Spanish teacher who offers to run a failing glee club full of misfits and social rejects. Of these outcasts we find Rachel Berry (Lea Michele of Broadway's Spring Awakening), a star in her own mind and ripe with unbelievable talent, yet she remains unappreciated and is lost in the harsh social hierarchy of the high school world. To compliment her, Mr. Schuester creatively convinces football star Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) to join the club and sing, despite his hesitations. If the plot sounds vaguely familiar (cute, popular jock enticed to sing in a school production amidst protest from his peers), you might recognize it - or embarrassingly admit to recognizing it - from Disney's High School Musical. Think of Glee as a smarter, edgier, wickedly funny version of HSM.

Finn's girlfriend, Quinn Fabray (Dianna Argon), is head cheerleader and leader of the school's celibacy club. She isn't keen on Finn joining Glee and becoming close to Rachel as he inevitably does. Coach of the girl's cheer squad (called the Cheerios) is Sue Sylvester (played by the scene stealing Jane Lynch), and she quickly becomes the enemy of Glee as she detests any attention the club gets, especially if it's diverted from cheer. Also at the school, we meet Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays), a germaphobic guidance counselor who appears to have a romantic connection with Will.

Glee is so many things at once. It's a high school drama, a wicked satire, and a Broadway musical all rolled into one jam packed hour of television. It's remarkable to believe that the show runners are able to juggle them all and make it work, but they do (and pretty spectacularly too).

Admittedly, the first few episodes after the pilot struggled to find a successful balance, but the show definitely discovered its groove and it is soaring high right now. The musical numbers are inspired and Kristen Chenoweth's guest spot in "The Rhodes Not Taken" was sheer brilliance (If you haven't downloaded "Maybe This Time" yet, do it right now!). And, in the season's breakout performance, Jane Lynch as Sue is so gut-bustingly hilarious you'll wish she was in every single scene. Each line she spits out is so expertly crafted and delivered, that if she isn't nominated for an Emmy next year something is horribly wrong.

So far we've learned that Quinn is pregnant, but not by Finn. She managed to convince him that the child is his, even though they've never fully had sex (something to do with premature ejaculation and a hot tub). Will's wife Terri, who we thought was pregnant, turns out to not be and is lying to Will about it in order to keep him in line. Terri has an agreement with Quinn to take her baby once she gives birth, and pass it off as her own (although I'm not exactly sure how that is going to work). I'm actually not too crazy about the whole pregnancy story line and I fear its dragging down the entire show. It just seems that whenever an episode is zipping along, the pregnancy subplot floors the brakes and causes all the momentum to come to a screeching halt. It's one of the few kinks in an otherwise spectacular show.

So there it is Gleeks, the first installment of Glee Weekly! What is your favorite performance so far? And do you agree with me about the pregnancy story line?

Rock My World!

For the record, 30 Rock is my favorite show on TV. Minute for minute and joke for joke it is the sharpest, funniest, and fastest paced sitcom on the air today (although ABC’s Modern Family is very quickly giving Liz Lemon a run for her money). The writers brilliantly blend wildly irreverent humor, hilarious non-sequitors, and even a handful of sweet moments together to give us one of the best character driven comedies of the decade. Tina Fey’s Liz Lemon and Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy are reason enough to keep anyone glued to their sets every week, but throw in fantastic supporting players like Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer and you’ve got yourself one of the best sitcom ensembles in recent memory. Liz Lemon grounds the show with all her self-deprecating glory, and it’s her relationship with boss Jack that is the real meat and potatoes of 30 Rock. Morgan’s Tracy, Krakowski’s Jenna, and McBrayer’s Kenneth take the show in all sorts of crazy directions but it's Liz and Jack that always bring us back to center. In just three short seasons, 30 Rock has given us countless quotable lines (I want to go to there!), indelible and iconic characters, and lest we forget 3 consecutive – and much deserved - Best Comedy Series Emmys.

That said, 30 Rock is also uneven and unpredictable at times. The writers constantly tango between crazy funny and just plain crazy and occasionally they take a few too many steps in the wrong direction. Some story lines haven’t worked as well as others and - last season in particular - a cavalcade of guest stars was met with varying success (Steve Martin and Salma Hayek = great; Jennifer Aniston = not so great).

This unevenness was apparent in the season premiere, which to me felt like it never quite got off the ground. The episode - which is a very obvious jab at parent network NBC – involves Jack pressuring the cast of TGS to become more relatable to the average American and he insists Liz secretly search for a new, more mainstream cast member. In lieu of the tough economy, Jack also eliminates overtime pay for Kenneth and the rest of the NBC pages, yet still keeps a huge bonus for himself.

The social commentary is clever, yet the story never quite gains enough momentum to become thoroughly enjoyable. Kenneth, who is best used in small strategic doses, dominates too much of the episode and his interactions with Jack never seem to really work. For me, it just seemed like a hodgepodge of situations that should have been hilarious but never quite got there.

Episode two (“In the Crevasse”), which aired this week, more resembled the 30 Rock we all know and love. Liz is starting to receive backlash from her co-workers for writing a book based on the “Dealbreaker” sketches, and the advice she’s dishing out is ruining relationships left and right. Tracy’s wife ends up kicking him out because of this and he is forced to stay with Liz until they resolve their problems. Meanwhile, Jack must find a way to outsmart arch rival Devin Banks (the HILARIOUS Will Arnett) once again. Jack and Devin steal the show here, and the cut to Devin hanging out with Sasha Obama wins the honor of funniest moment of the night. Liz and Tracy’s co-habitation should have been ripe with all sorts of comedy but it ended up being just so-so. And the porn shoot? I could take it or leave it. All in all “In the Crevasse” was a much better episode than the premiere, but it feels like 30 Rock still needs to find its footing in season four. Let’s hope the third episode’s the charm.

So what’s the verdict? Am I being too tough on 30 Rock or does this season feel a little like some of the air has been let out of our beloved sitcom?