Category Archives: Television
Groundskeeper Willy as Hellboy!
Visionary director and all-around giant robot fanatic Guillermo del Toro was brought in to guest-direct this year’s Treehouse of Horrors Cough Gag on The Simpsons! And sure enough, it’s packed full of del Toro references and comedy.
I haven’t seen a new Simpsons season in years. But it’s good to know that they’re still having fun.
6 Things I Want to See in a Flash TV Show
Following the success of the Green Arrow TV show – and really, who could have seen that coming? – Warner Bros. and The CW have announced hopes to make a spin-off about the Flash, the fastest man alive. They cast actor Grant Gustin as the Scarlet Speedster only a few weeks ago, and he’s already filming a few episodes of Arrow Season 2 to build up his character and get him ready for his own pilot.
I’ve said it before: we are living in a Golden Age of superhero entertainment.
Faster than a speeding…no wait, that’s Superman
I consider myself a fan of the Flash, even though I’ve rarely ever read his comic. I love the idea of the character, I love the costume, I love the powers; the Flash can be a really cool guy. I think he’d make for a fantastic big screen movie, but who am I to argue with Warner Bros. decision to make a TV show instead? I really liked the first season of Arrow, so I have high hopes for the Flash – I also have some suggestions (or demands, depending on how you look at it).
Join me after the jump for 6 things I want in a Flash TV show.
Review: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot
This is the world we live in now, and I couldn’t be a happier geek. There is a weekly live action TV drama set in the Marvel Universe, starring (some) characters from the comics, with the potential to show off even more down the line. You just know Disney is going to move Heaven and Earth to get Robert Downey Jr. or Samuel L. Jackson to visit Agents of SHIELD for Sweeps Week. But for the first episode, they’ve got to rely on Joss Whedon, Agent Phil Coulson and a cast of never-before-seen super spies to keep their audience entertained – and I say they succeed.
Agents of SHIELD doesn’t achieve greatness in its pilot, but then which shows ever do? At least this Marvel Universe show is off to a good start, with the right mix of action, humor, cool characters and references to the larger world. What more could a geek like me ask for?
TV Rating: 7/10 – Good!
I was not disappointed with the premiere of Agents of SHIELD, but I also wasn’t overly thrilled. If this was just any other spy procedural, I doubt I’d come back for even the second episode. But this isn’t just any other spy show. This is Agents of SHIELD, starring actual characters from the Marvel Movieverse and flinging comic book references at us left and right. And it’s produced by Joss Whedon, the patron saint of amazing, geeky television. Whedon even wrote and directed the pilot, and his wit and cleverness are on full display. The Whedon shows I’ve seen – Firefly, Dollhouse and a few seasons of Angel – are some of the best TV I have ever watched, and I have nothing but faith in Agents of SHIELD find its feet and produce some amazing television in the long run.
Few shows get their pilot absolutely perfect, and we can probably expect at least a few seasons of Agents of SHIELD.
I liked the pilot episode. The characters all seem pretty cool so far, though it may take some time for them to grow on me. I think I’m a little curmudgeony these days when it comes to new TV shows. Clark Gregg’s return as Agent Phil Coulson is great, though I’m not sold on the idea of him playing anything beyond dryly sardonic. He has one scene where he has to raise his voice to scold/motivate an underling, and I just don’t think he pulled it off. The rest of the cast is good, and I especially liked the science duo of Fitz and Simmons. But everyone else – for now – falls into the category of being too TV beautiful to take seriously quite yet. Everyone other than Gregg is a stunningly handsome or beautiful person filling standard TV roles. So hopefully their personalities and character arcs will expand as the series moves forward.
Join me after the jump for the full review.
Gotham Central TV Show to Become a Reality
This is exciting news, because it once again means someone out there in TV Land is reading my blog. It seems that FOX has committed to producing Gotham, a series about Commissioner Gordon as a detective on the mean streets of Gotham City. According to Deadline, the show will focus on Gordon and the early lives of Gotham City’s famous super-villains. I’m also just going to assume that the show will include other members of the GCPD, essentially making it Gotham Central the show!
He’s getting to old for this
For those who don’t know, Gotham Central was a short-lived comic book series from DC a few years ago that told the story of the Major Crimes Unit in the GCPD. It focused on the detectives who investigate all the super-crime in Gotham, and the trials and tribulations that come with living in Batman’s shadow and going up against guys like the Joker. According to the article, the show is not going to include Batman, which, of course, is insane. Why would you not include Batman!? What is this ridiculous belief that viewers won’t be able to tell the difference between TV Batman and movie Batman? Or is it a legal thing? Isn’t Batman owned by Warner Bros? Why can’t they rule for themselves that Batman can appear in both movies and TV shows!?
One of the best parts of Gotham Central was that Batman (and Robin) were always out there in the shadows, as if looking over the detectives shoulders. But, of course, that’s not the only draw of Gotham Central. The terror that comes from investigating guys like the Joker and Two-Face was really a major part of the comic. Hopefully they can infuse that into this new show.
All of them are way too old for this
And I would just look to point out that I had Gotham Central at the top of my list for Comic Books that Should Become TV Shows. So once again my blog is at the cutting edge of pop culture ideas. And any studio executives who want to use some of the other suggestions on my list, go right ahead. I don’t mind.
Hopefully, if Gotham is a success and leads to multiple seasons, DC and Warner Bros. will understand the benefit of introducing Batman. And if they did, I wouldn’t really want them to show Batman anyway. Imagine a whole season where Gordon and his people are haunted by some shadowy vigilante and strange claims of a man who looks like a demon bat. Now that would be good television!
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Debuts Tonight!
I think we can all agree that when writing the title of this show, we don’t have to also type the word ‘Marvel’s’. I know and love the company, but it’s rather silly to add that to the front of everything they do. I’ve never called it ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’, so I’m not about to start now. Also, there’s no way anybody is going to write all those punctuations in the word ‘SHIELD’. Just not gonna happen. Still, how exciting is it that we finally get to see the show?
I’ll get around to watching the first episode at some point this week, then I’ll be sure to have a review up before the end of the week. I’ve very excited to see what it’s like!
Henchman-4-Hire 